Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has set a minimum quality threshold under the apprenticeship accountability framework for training providers to continue offering new starts on a standard in the apprenticeship programme in England for the academic year 2025-26; and when she plans to communicate information about the required threshold to providers.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Apprenticeship Accountability Framework (AAF) is the department’s main tool for improving apprenticeship quality. The AAF evaluates Qualification Achievement Rates alongside nine other quality indicators, such as Ofsted outcomes, withdrawal rates and feedback from apprentices and employers, using updated data throughout the year.

The AAF sets minimum thresholds for each quality indicator, reflecting the department's baseline expectations for apprenticeship quality. If a provider's performance falls below these thresholds, it triggers a management conversation between the department and the provider, rather than an automatic cessation of starts on a standard.

The quality indicators and their minimum thresholds are detailed in the Apprenticeship Accountability Framework and Specification, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework-and-specification--2#accountability-policy-for-apprenticeship-training-providers. The department will continually review these indicators and thresholds, using the latest available data from the current and previous academic years, while considering sector consultation and feedback to ensure they are appropriately set.

Any changes to the AAF, including updates to quality indicators and their minimum thresholds, will be communicated to the sector.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to amend the Police Pensions Regulations 1987 to allow widows to continue to receive pension income following remarriage.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The 1987 Police Pension Scheme provides a pension for the widow, widower or civil partner of a police officer who dies. In common with most other public service pension schemes of that time, these benefits cease to be payable where the widow, widower or civil partner remarries or cohabits with another partner.

With the introduction of the 2006 and 2015 police pension schemes, all eligible police officers were able to join a pension scheme that provides life-long survivor benefits for spouses, civil partners and unmarried partners, including those who remarry or cohabit after losing a spouse.

From 1 April 2015, the 1987 Police Pension Scheme was amended to allow widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers who have died as a result of an injury on duty to receive their survivor benefits for life regardless of remarriage, civil partnership or cohabitation.

There are no plans at this time to make any further changes to benefits accrued in the 1987 police scheme.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Found: Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab) • Mike Tapp (Dover and Deal) (Lab) • Matt Vickers (Stockton West) (Con) • Jo White

Found: _NC2 Tonia Antoniazzi Tracy Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter

Found: _NC2 Tonia Antoniazzi Tracy Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter

Found: _NC2 Tonia Antoniazzi Tracy Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter

Found: _NC2 Tonia Antoniazzi Tracy Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter

Found: _NC2 Tonia Antoniazzi Tracy Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter

Found: _NC2 Tonia Antoniazzi Tracy Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter

Found: _NC2 Tonia Antoniazzi Tracy Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter

Found: _NC2 Tonia Antoniazzi Tracy Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter

Found: _NC2 Tonia Antoniazzi Tracy Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter

Found: _NC2 Tonia Antoniazzi Tracy Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter

Found: Collinge Gill Furniss Katrina Murray Lillian Jones David Smith Joani Reid Euan Stainbank Jo White

Found: Collinge Gill Furniss Katrina Murray Lillian Jones David Smith Joani Reid Euan Stainbank Jo White

Found: Collinge Gill Furniss Katrina Murray Lillian Jones David Smith Joani Reid Euan Stainbank Jo White

Found: Collinge Gill Furniss Katrina Murray Lillian Jones David Smith Joani Reid Euan Stainbank Jo White

Found: Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab) • Mike Tapp (Dover and Deal) (Lab) • Matt Vickers (Stockton West) (Con) • Jo White