Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made contingency plans for a UK programme of overseas study opportunities for university students in the event that the UK is not able to remain part of the EU's Erasmus programme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The Joint Report sets out that the UK and the EU fully intend for the eligibility of UK participants’ in Erasmus+ to remain unchanged for the duration of the programme. This includes eligibility to participate in Erasmus+ projects and to receive Erasmus+ funding for the lifetime of projects. The government encourages eligible organisations to continue to bid for Erasmus+ funding and participate in Erasmus+ projects.
The government's underwrite guarantee of Erasmus+ funding remains in place in the event that commitments enshrined in the Joint Report are not met. This guarantees funding for UK participants in ongoing projects at the point of the UK leaving the EU, as well as for participants that are only informed of their success or sign a grant agreement after the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many universities are registered as apprenticeship providers in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Anne Milton
102 universities are listed on the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s register of apprenticeship training providers, of which (a) 93 are in England, (b) three are in Wales, (c) five are in Scotland, and (d) one is in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training his Department has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on understanding the scrutiny and legislative roles of the UK Parliament; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such training courses in each of the last five years.
Answered by Anne Milton
All civil servants have access to the central learning offer provided through Civil Service Learning (CSL). There are one-day workshops on understanding Parliament, which are delivered at Foundation and Practitioner levels, which both cover Parliament’s scrutiny and legislative roles. Dedicated training sessions covering specific topics are also available including introductions to Parliament, select committees, debates and voting, pre and post legislative scrutiny, Parliamentary questions, delegated legislation, and primary legislation. A half-day workshop is available on producing effective Explanatory Memoranda to accompany secondary legislation. The Cabinet Office’s Parliamentary Business and Legislation Team provide training to Bill Teams. The Government Legal Department and Parliamentary Counsel run a course on ‘Dealing with Parliamentary Bills for Lawyers’, which covers parliamentary stages and handling. Bespoke sessions for government departments are also available on request.
There is an e-learning course on understanding Parliament, and access to two massive open online courses. These have been produced in partnership between the House of Commons and Future Learn, which is a digital education platform owned by the Open University.
The only course we have a data for is staff who have accessed e-learning training on ‘Parliamentary Processes’:
| Started but yet not completed | Completed | Total |
2018 | 20 | 13 | 33 |
2017 | 55 | 65 | 120 |
2016 | 23 | 16 | 39 |
Total | 98 | 94 | 192 |
Fast Stream civil servants receive a Parliament workshop during their induction, covering the role of Parliament in scrutinising government policy. For policy professionals, a Fast Stream Base Camp includes an optional workshop which focuses on the legislative process in both houses, typical timetables and roles of Ministers, Bill Teams and civil servants in delivering legislation.
For senior civil servants, a tailored a one-day workshop, ‘Leading in Parliament’, is available, which covers Parliament’s role, powers and relationship with government, and the day-to-day work of Members. A workshop delivered jointly between CSL and HM Treasury is provided for Accounting Officers. CSL provides a workshop specifically for Senior Responsible Officers with responsibility for secondary legislation. Every department has an Senior Civil Service Parliamentary Champion. There is a buddy system in place between Parliamentary Champions and senior House staff.
We also provide learning opportunities as follows:
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training his Department has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on devolution and inter-governmental relations; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such training courses in each of the last five years.
Answered by Anne Milton
Civil Service Learning (CSL) provides a range of central learning opportunities, including online and face-to-face training, for all civil servants on devolution and intergovernmental working.
The online ‘Devolution & Intergovernmental Working’ module, launched in November 2016, is for all new and existing civil servants. Through four online tutorials, video interviews with senior civil servants, and ‘take back to the office’ activities, it explains how the different governments operating in the UK work together, covering devolution settlements, decentralisation, City Deals and intergovernmental relations, as well as the ‘Devolution Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements’. 15 civil servants have engaged with the online training since its release (attached).
The online ‘Collaboration across departments, government and beyond’ module is for all new and existing civil servants. Through online tutorials, video interviews and supporting materials, it explains about collaborative working with the devolved administrations and other government departments or with private and not-for-profit organisations. 36 civil servants have engaged with the online training since its release (attached).
There are other learning and training initiatives to build capability and raise awareness of devolution across the departments, which include:
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much his Department plans to spend on projects relating to the UK leaving the EU in the next five years; and if he will list the projects to which that funding has been assigned.
Answered by Anne Milton
At Autumn Budget 2017 HM Treasury made £3 billion of additional funding available across government over 2018/19 and 2019/20 – £1.5 billion in each year. The Department for Education are currently working with HM Treasury to assess if the department requires additional funding for 2018/19 and aim to agree this soon.
HM Treasury has already allocated departments nearly £700 million to prepare for Brexit – £412 million for the Department for International Trade, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Exiting the European Union over the parliamentary session at Autumn Statement 2016 and nearly £300 million across a number of other departments from the reserve in 2017/18.
Departmental allocations for 2019/20 will be agreed later on in the new financial year and decisions on funding in 2020/21 and beyond will be decided at the next spending review. This is because requirements in these years will be heavily affected by what is agreed in our negotiations with the EU.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations her Department has received on the Open University's refusal to accept students from Cuba.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The UK greatly values its relationship with Cuba and signed a Memorandum of Understanding in April 2016, with the aim of enhancing co-operation in higher education. We are committed to the principles of partnership and development as set out in the Memorandum.
We are aware of the interest around this issue and, at the request of the Open University, officials from the Department for Education, the Department for International Trade, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have met with it to discuss its use of a restricted countries list in its application process, in particular in relation to Cuba.
There are no UK or EU sanctions against Cuba. However, we understand that private organisations such as the Open University have to take decisions about their exposure to sanctions on the basis of commercial considerations, their own legal advice and appropriate risk assessments.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much and what proportion of her Department's expenditure has been identified as relating to its work on the UK leaving the EU in 2017-18.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
As part of our preparations for exiting the European Union, the Department for Education, along with all Government departments, is assessing the impact of exiting the EU and we are planning for a range of scenarios, working alongside HM Treasury and the Department for Exiting the European Union.
The Department has four members of staff working full time on co-ordinating and contributing to cross-department and cross-government work on EU exit. The cost over the 2017/18 year will be £212,000, which is less than 1% of the Department’s administration expenditure. This cost is based on London rates of pay as well as associated overhead costs.
These staff are supported by a range of civil servants across the department who lead on specific policy areas and whose work includes, but is not limited to EU exit work.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff in her Department have responsibilities relating to the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The department has four members of staff working full time on co-ordinating and contributing to cross-department and cross-government work on EU exit. These staff are supported by a range of civil servants across the department who lead on specific policy areas and whose work includes, but is not limited to EU exit work.