Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
What steps he is taking to work with his European counterparts on cross-border energy projects to achieve clean power in the UK by 2030.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Cross-border cooperation with our European neighbours is vital for our energy security. Through the government’s wider reset of relations with Europe we have strengthened our relationship with key partners, and will work together to secure our safety, security and prosperity.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, when she plans to communicate decisions on unitary structures.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 5th February 2025 I formally invited unitary proposals from all the councils in two tier areas and their neighbouring small unitaries. In this invitation I set out the timelines for the submission of proposals for each area.
Once proposals have been submitted it will be for the government to decide on taking a proposal forward to consult on as required by statute. We will take a phased approach, and expect that Government will take decisions on proposals between summer 2025 and spring 2026, ahead of delivering new unitary authorities in April 2027 and 2028.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how existing local authority third party contracts for the new unitary authorities with end dates beyond the proposed vesting dates will be managed, in the context of her proposals for local government reorganisation.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The potential impact of local government reorganisation on individual areas will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals for reorganisation. It is essential that councils developing proposals for reorganisation continue to deliver their business-as-usual services and duties, which remain unchanged up until such time as the reorganisation process is complete. This duty may include arrangements around third party contracts that deliver or support the delivery of statutory services.
Until a decision about any new councils is made and legislation is in place councils are encouraged to consider voluntary arrangements to help balance the decisions needed now to maintain service delivery and ensure value for money for council taxpayers, with those key decisions that will affect the future success of any new councils in the area.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what proportion of British Business Bank funding is dedicated to supporting female entrepreneurs by sector.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The British Business Bank delivers most programmes via third parties, limiting data on gender and sectoral breakdowns, however it aims to increase gender data in 2025.
The Start Up Loans programme is an example of where gender data is held, and since 2012, it has delivered over 118,000 loans totalling more than £1.1 billion, with 40% going to female founders.
As a founding signatory of the Investing in Women Code, the Bank supports women entrepreneurs by improving access to the tools, resources and finance they need. The Bank also collects data on equity finance for female entrepreneurs and is committed to enhancing data collection of its own equity finance activities.
The Bank has also invested £50 million through existing programmes, supporting the Invest in Women Taskforce.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of functional skills requirements on access to apprenticeships; and what the cost of Functional Skills training for people who already have a degree was in each of the last five years.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has announced changes to the rules relating to achievement of English and mathematics qualifications as part of an apprenticeship for those aged 19 or over at the start of their programme. Upskilling in English and mathematics will continue to remain a key feature of all apprenticeships, and we have listened to employers and will be offering more flexibility over when a standalone qualification is required in addition to this.
All apprentices will be required to secure and be assessed on the job-specific skills English and mathematics they need, but moving forward employers will have more flexibility over whether adult (19+) apprentices are required to achieve a standalone English and mathematics qualifications.
In future, adult apprentices will be able to complete their apprenticeship if they have demonstrated they have the skills, including relevant English and mathematics skills, to be effective in the role without undertaking a standalone English and mathematics qualification.
All apprentices who are aged 16 to 18 at the start of their apprenticeship will continue to be required and funded to secure up to a level 2 qualification in English and mathematics if they do not hold one, consistent with our expectation that all young people should have a meaningful further opportunity to secure a level 2 qualification in English and mathematics post-16.
This delivers the flexibility that employers have long called for and we expect it to lead to thousands more qualified apprentices in a range of key sectors, including in social care and construction.
The changes were made effective from 11 February 2025.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to review compulsory functional skills requirements for apprentices who do not hold a GCSE or Level 2 equivalent qualification in English and maths.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has announced changes to the rules relating to achievement of English and mathematics qualifications as part of an apprenticeship for those aged 19 or over at the start of their programme. Upskilling in English and mathematics will continue to remain a key feature of all apprenticeships, and we have listened to employers and will be offering more flexibility over when a standalone qualification is required in addition to this.
All apprentices will be required to secure and be assessed on the job-specific skills English and mathematics they need, but moving forward employers will have more flexibility over whether adult (19+) apprentices are required to achieve a standalone English and mathematics qualifications.
In future, adult apprentices will be able to complete their apprenticeship if they have demonstrated they have the skills, including relevant English and mathematics skills, to be effective in the role without undertaking a standalone English and mathematics qualification.
All apprentices who are aged 16 to 18 at the start of their apprenticeship will continue to be required and funded to secure up to a level 2 qualification in English and mathematics if they do not hold one, consistent with our expectation that all young people should have a meaningful further opportunity to secure a level 2 qualification in English and mathematics post-16.
This delivers the flexibility that employers have long called for and we expect it to lead to thousands more qualified apprentices in a range of key sectors, including in social care and construction.
The changes were made effective from 11 February 2025.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the Growth and Skills Levy enables people to retrain in (a) technology and (b) digital skills.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills to break down barriers to opportunity and support employers to develop the skilled workforces they need to help drive economic growth.
Skills England has been established to form a coherent national picture of skills gaps and to help shape the technical education system so that it is responsive to skills needs. It will work closely with the Industrial Strategy Council and the Migration Advisory Committee to achieve this.
The government’s new Industrial Strategy will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors. Digital and Technologies has been identified as one of the eight growth-driving sectors and the department is considering how it supports this sector to develop the skills needed now and in the future.
Additionally, the government is reforming the apprenticeship levy into a new growth and skills levy that will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers in England, aligned with the Industrial Strategy. As a first step, this will include shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors, helping more people learn new high quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country and providing high quality entry pathways for young people.
Skills England was asked to engage with employers and other key partners regarding early priorities for the new growth and skills offer over the autumn. It has spoken to over 700 stakeholders, including representatives in the digital and technology sector, and has shared its findings with the department. Skills England will publish its findings from this engagement process in early 2025.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the provision of apprenticeships in AI.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to ensuring both learners and employers have access to crucial digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills that have the potential to increase productivity and create new high value jobs in the UK economy. To achieve this, the government is reforming the skills system.
The government has established Skills England to form a coherent national picture of skills gaps and to help shape the technical education system so that it is responsive to skills needs.
In addition, the government’s new Industrial Strategy will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors. Digital and Technologies has been identified as one of the eight growth-driving sectors and the department is considering how it supports this sector to develop the skills needed now and in the future.
The government is also reforming the apprenticeships levy into a growth and skills levy which will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers. As a key first step toward greater flexibility, we are introducing new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter duration apprenticeships in targeted sectors. The minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced to eight months, down from the current minimum of 12 months from August 2025. Three trailblazers in the key priority sectors of green energy, healthcare and film/TV production will be among the first to pioneer, and benefit from, the flexibilities that the new shorter duration apprenticeships offer. These will support more people to gain high quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country.
Apprenticeships are a great way for individuals to begin, or progress in, a successful career in the digital sector. Employers have developed more than 30 digital apprenticeships, including Level 3 Digital Support Technician and Level 5 Data Engineer.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s Digital Skills and Characteristics Framework also supports the inclusion of appropriate digital content such as AI and data driven technologies in new and revised occupational standards at all levels, ensuring that occupational standards keep pace with technological advancements and market trends.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to review the adequacy of apprenticeship Qualification Achievement Rates for accurately capturing learner outcomes.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department recognises there is a wide range of reasons for non-achievement of an apprenticeship, and that is why we hold training providers to account for quality delivery through the Apprenticeship Accountability Framework, which encompasses a wide range of quality indicators. In addition to Qualification Achievement Rates, these also include Ofsted inspection, retention rates, and employer and apprentice feedback.
Qualification Achievement Rates are one of a range of metrics the department holds on apprentice learner outcomes. We also publish a wide range of other information, including apprentice outcomes, earnings and satisfaction data.
As outlined in the department’s further education outcomes publication, 94% of apprentices who achieve their apprenticeships go into work or further training, with 93% remaining in sustained employment. This publication also shows that apprentices benefit from strong wage returns. Median earnings for an apprentice at level 3 were £19,550 one year after achievement, rising 36% to £26,540 five years on. Additionally, the department’s Apprenticeship Evaluation Learner Survey found that 86% of apprentices were satisfied with their apprenticeships and 88% felt their career prospects had improved since starting their apprenticeship.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to support good mental health among civil servants.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Service provides its employees with a comprehensive range of health and wellbeing tools and policies to ensure that employees remain in work or return to work as quickly as possible following absence due to ill health.
The Cabinet Office is fully committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of its civil servants, and has introduced a range of initiatives aimed at promoting good mental health.
Managers within the Cabinet Office are provided with training to identify early signs of mental health issues and offer appropriate support. Cabinet Office employees also have access to a confidential employee assistance programme (EAP), which offers mental health support, including counselling services.