Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if the Government will retain the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers in 2017-18.
Answered by Nick Boles
The Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE) is available until the end of the 2016/17 academic year to businesses with fewer than 50 employees, who have not employed an apprentice in the last 12 months. Eligible employers can receive a £1,500 grant per apprentice (aged 16 to 24) for up to five new apprentices undertaking an apprenticeship framework.
Further details on how small businesses will be supported to take on apprentices from April 2017 will be published at the end of June.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he plans to take to involve small and medium-sized enterprises in the proposed digital apprenticeship system.
Answered by Nick Boles
We are developing the digital apprenticeship service to support apprenticeships in England. It will help all employers to select an apprenticeship framework or standard, choose a training provider, choose an assessment organisation and post apprenticeship vacancies. By 2020, all employers will be able to use the service to pay for training and assessment for apprenticeships and we will help smaller employers to prepare for this.
We continue to work with a wide range of employers to develop, test and improve the digital apprenticeship service.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether any cluster bombs have been exported under licence from the UK to Saudi Arabia or Yemen since 1989.
Answered by Anna Soubry
Our electronic records show that since 1999 no licences have been granted to Saudi Arabia or Yemen for cluster bombs.
Paper records prior to 1999 can only be searched at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to improve the university complaints procedures for victims of sexual assault.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Sexual assault is a serious criminal offence and we expect all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to have robust policies in place to prevent incidents and support victims. All HEIs have a requirement to ensure rigorous procedures are in place to handle complaints. Where complaints cannot be resolved, students can access the complaints handling service provided by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.
The Government asked Universities UK to establish a taskforce to explore what more can be done by the higher education sector to prevent, and respond effectively to, incidents of violence and sexual harassment, hate crimes and other forms of harassment. The taskforce is expected to report its findings in the autumn.
The Government looks forward to receiving the taskforce’s final report in due course.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to ensure that support staff at universities are given adequate training in supporting students who are victims of sexual assault to ensure that that support is given by such staff and not other students.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Sexual assault is a serious criminal offence and we expect all Higher Education Institutions to have robust policies in place to prevent incidents and support victims.
The Government asked Universities UK to establish a taskforce to explore what more can be done by the higher education sector to prevent, and respond effectively to, incidents of violence and sexual harassment, hate crimes and other forms of harassment, including in relation to LGBT students.
The taskforce report is likely to include recommendations on appropriately trained staff and enhanced pastoral support. The taskforce is expected to report its findings in the autumn.
The Government looks forward to receiving the taskforce’s final report in due course.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to increase the available support for LGBT students affected by sexual assault whilst at university.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Sexual assault is a serious criminal offence and we expect all Higher Education Institutions to have robust policies in place to prevent incidents and support victims.
The Government asked Universities UK to establish a taskforce to explore what more can be done by the higher education sector to prevent, and respond effectively to, incidents of violence and sexual harassment, hate crimes and other forms of harassment, including in relation to LGBT students.
The taskforce report is likely to include recommendations on appropriately trained staff and enhanced pastoral support. The taskforce is expected to report its findings in the autumn.
The Government looks forward to receiving the taskforce’s final report in due course.