Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average length of time is for agreeing standards for apprenticeships in the maritime industry through the Trailblazer working group model.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships. I have asked its Chief Executive, Sir Gerry Berragan, to write to the hon. Member, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses when it is available.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether unspent apprenticeship levy monies returned to his Department are allocated to the apprenticeship budget for use by non-levy paying employers.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
The funds in apprenticeship service accounts are available for levy-paying employers to use for 24 months before they begin to expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis. We have never anticipated that levy-payers will use all the funds available to them, but they are able to if they wish. Individual levy-paying employers have full control over when and where apprenticeship funds are spent to meet their current and future skills needs.
Employers’ levy funds are distinct from the Department for Education’s ring-fenced annual apprenticeship budget. This budget is set on an annual basis to cover the costs of all apprenticeships. This includes new apprenticeships in both levy-paying employers and those that do not pay the levy, as well as existing apprenticeships for learners who started in previous years. As this budget is distinct from the funds in employers’ apprenticeship service accounts, it is not affected by the value of any funds which may expire from employers’ accounts each month.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with the Office for Students on the publication of the results of the subject-level Teaching Excellence Framework prior to the publication of the recommendations of the independent review of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The department regularly discusses the ongoing development of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) with the Office for Students (OfS). We expect the OfS to consider the implementation of the TEF in light of the report of the independent review of TEF by Dame Shirley Pearce, as well as the government’s response. We intend to lay Dame Shirley’s report before Parliament and publish it alongside the government’s response as soon as possible.
The department’s analysts provided Dame Shirley and her advisory group background information and analytical support. This will be published as part of the supporting evidence base, which will be presented as appendices to her report.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and his officials have not discussed the paragraphs on the TEF in the strategic guidance letter to the OfS with representative groups from the HE sectors. Discussions of this type would not normally be held with these groups in advance of issuing guidance.
The department provides grants to the OfS for the development and delivery of the TEF. Further discussions will be held with the OfS on estimating costs in future years when planning for the implementation of the TEF. This will take into account that the recommendations in the report of the independent review are clear.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional (a) evidence and (b) material his Department has provided to Dame Shirley Pearce's review of the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The department regularly discusses the ongoing development of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) with the Office for Students (OfS). We expect the OfS to consider the implementation of the TEF in light of the report of the independent review of TEF by Dame Shirley Pearce, as well as the government’s response. We intend to lay Dame Shirley’s report before Parliament and publish it alongside the government’s response as soon as possible.
The department’s analysts provided Dame Shirley and her advisory group background information and analytical support. This will be published as part of the supporting evidence base, which will be presented as appendices to her report.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and his officials have not discussed the paragraphs on the TEF in the strategic guidance letter to the OfS with representative groups from the HE sectors. Discussions of this type would not normally be held with these groups in advance of issuing guidance.
The department provides grants to the OfS for the development and delivery of the TEF. Further discussions will be held with the OfS on estimating costs in future years when planning for the implementation of the TEF. This will take into account that the recommendations in the report of the independent review are clear.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with (i) NUS, (ii) UCU and (iii) UUK and (iv) other representative HE groupings on the implications for the sector of his letter to the Office for Students asking for subject-level Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) results in 2021.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The department regularly discusses the ongoing development of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) with the Office for Students (OfS). We expect the OfS to consider the implementation of the TEF in light of the report of the independent review of TEF by Dame Shirley Pearce, as well as the government’s response. We intend to lay Dame Shirley’s report before Parliament and publish it alongside the government’s response as soon as possible.
The department’s analysts provided Dame Shirley and her advisory group background information and analytical support. This will be published as part of the supporting evidence base, which will be presented as appendices to her report.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and his officials have not discussed the paragraphs on the TEF in the strategic guidance letter to the OfS with representative groups from the HE sectors. Discussions of this type would not normally be held with these groups in advance of issuing guidance.
The department provides grants to the OfS for the development and delivery of the TEF. Further discussions will be held with the OfS on estimating costs in future years when planning for the implementation of the TEF. This will take into account that the recommendations in the report of the independent review are clear.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of subject-level Teaching Excellence Framework results in 2021; and whether funds have been provided to the Office for Students to cover those costs.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The department regularly discusses the ongoing development of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) with the Office for Students (OfS). We expect the OfS to consider the implementation of the TEF in light of the report of the independent review of TEF by Dame Shirley Pearce, as well as the government’s response. We intend to lay Dame Shirley’s report before Parliament and publish it alongside the government’s response as soon as possible.
The department’s analysts provided Dame Shirley and her advisory group background information and analytical support. This will be published as part of the supporting evidence base, which will be presented as appendices to her report.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and his officials have not discussed the paragraphs on the TEF in the strategic guidance letter to the OfS with representative groups from the HE sectors. Discussions of this type would not normally be held with these groups in advance of issuing guidance.
The department provides grants to the OfS for the development and delivery of the TEF. Further discussions will be held with the OfS on estimating costs in future years when planning for the implementation of the TEF. This will take into account that the recommendations in the report of the independent review are clear.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether all returned unspent apprenticeship levy monies are being allocated to the apprenticeship budget for use by non-levy paying employers.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the get help to retrain scheme, whether the digital service will include the assessment of adults' (a) qualifications and (b) skills.
Answered by Anne Milton
Get Help to Retrain is the first of a series of products that will make up the full National Retraining Scheme (NRS). We are expecting the NRS to evolve and grow as we learn better what best works.
With support from qualified National Careers Service advisers, the service will support adults to understand which skills they have from their current role and which further skills would be required for a potential new, better job.
In addition, the service helps people to find training opportunities that may help the user to bridge the skills gap to a new role, initially consisting of training currently available and later including more bespoke offerings. It will also direct users to local job opportunities that could be within their reach.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the office for students on registration fees for further education colleges.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
All providers are being treated equitably.
We consulted with all providers, including further education (FE) colleges, twice, on the introduction of registration fees (from December 2016 until March 2017, and from October 2017 until December 2017). The Office for Students (OfS) separately consulted on the model for deciding how student numbers should be determined to inform the fee levels. It published the outcomes of this consultation in October 2018. Following the consultation processes, a number of additional bands were added for smaller providers compared with the original proposal. The costs for a very small provider have decreased from the second phase of the consultation, where a provider with 0-50 full-time equivalent student numbers, the lowest band, was proposed to pay £18,200. Providers with full-time equivalent student numbers of no more than 25 will now pay £12,300, and providers with more than 25 but no more than 50 (full time equivalent) will pay £15,350.
We also considered the impact of fees more widely and published an impact assessment in March 2019. The impact assessment considered higher education providers – including FE colleges – taxpayers, the government and students. The impact assessment report stated:
‘We have … analysed Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) college accounts data for 120 FE colleges with Higher Education Funding Council for England funded learners, that have applied to register and found that FE colleges would be paying on average 0.2% of their total income in registration fees. This ranges from 0.05% to 1.3% of total income but with just one provider paying more than 1%. … these proportions are very small and highly unlikely to impede competition in the higher education market.’
We have committed to a full review of registration fees after 2 years, when the impact of the fees on all providers will be clearer.
I meet regularly with the Chair and officials from the OfS to discuss a wide range of issues, including the financial health of all parts of the higher education sector, which is kept under constant review by the OfS.