Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of how many apprenticeships were lost as a result of the early termination of contracts by the Skills Funding Agency because the provider was at risk of failure in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015.
Answered by Nick Boles
The Skills Funding Agency has not estimated the number of apprenticeships that have been lost as a result of early termination of contracts in 2013, 2014 and 2015 because the Skills Funding Agency ensures that an alternative provider is in place to enable apprentices to continue their programme should they choose to do so.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on people accessing services of a contract being terminated early by the Skills Funding Agency due to the provider being at risk of failure.
Answered by Nick Boles
The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) does not terminate contracts on the grounds of a provider being ‘at risk of failure’. When the Skills Funding Agency terminates a provider’s contract early, whatever the reason for the termination, it ensures that an alternative provider is in place to enable employers and learners to continue their programme if they wish to do so.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department takes to limit the effect on service users of contracts with sub-contractors being terminated early due to the provider being at risk of failure.
Answered by Nick Boles
Where a subcontractor is impacted by the Skills Funding Agency’s (SFA) decision to terminate a provider contract, the SFA ensures that the learners can remain in their programme of learning either through the subcontractor or through a transfer to another provider depending on the circumstances of the termination. However, the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) does not terminate contracts on the grounds of a provider being ‘at risk of failure’.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many contracts have been terminated early by the Skills Funding Agency due to the provider being at risk of failure in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015.
Answered by Nick Boles
The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) does not terminate contracts on the grounds of a provider being ‘at risk of failure’.