Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how he plans to work with the (a) Department of Work and Pensions and (b) Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to embed the role of education into the employment and jobs strategy.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, have already been working on Universal Credit matters, and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced a temporary extension to the length of time people can undertake training to develop work-related skills and qualifications, whilst still receiving Universal Credit to support their living costs. The length of time that Universal Credit claimants can spend on work-related, full-time training has been extended from up to 8 weeks to up to 12 weeks throughout the UK, and up to 16 weeks in England for the purpose of attending Skills Bootcamps. The change was implemented on 26 April and will run for a 6-month period, after which time the impact of this change will be reviewed.
There is already close and cross working across the government in respect of skills and employment. In England, the pre-employment training element of the DWP-led sector-based work academy programme (SWAP) is funded by the Department for Education through the adult education budget, which in several regions is managed by the relevant mayoral combined authority. The department is working with DWP to help deliver the extra 80,000 SWAP places for financial year 2021/22 announced by DWP in February this year. Professional, impartial careers information, advice and guidance underpins the range of measures being offered via the Plan For Jobs. Careers advisers help individuals and organisations to consider the different programmes, including apprenticeships, traineeships, Kickstart, SWAP, learning and upskilling opportunities, and help them to determine which route would be best for them. The department continues to work closely with DWP to make sure that our respective offers for job seekers and universal credit claimants complement each other and that customers enjoy a joined-up user experience, which helps them to progress.
The department is also working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the green jobs task force, which focuses on the immediate and longer-term challenges of delivering skilled workers for the UK’s transition to a net zero agenda.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will work with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to reform universal credit rules to ensure that no claimant is prevented from accessing training that will help them find meaningful employment.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, have already been working on Universal Credit matters, and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced a temporary extension to the length of time people can undertake training to develop work-related skills and qualifications, whilst still receiving Universal Credit to support their living costs. The length of time that Universal Credit claimants can spend on work-related, full-time training has been extended from up to 8 weeks to up to 12 weeks throughout the UK, and up to 16 weeks in England for the purpose of attending Skills Bootcamps. The change was implemented on 26 April and will run for a 6-month period, after which time the impact of this change will be reviewed.
There is already close and cross working across the government in respect of skills and employment. In England, the pre-employment training element of the DWP-led sector-based work academy programme (SWAP) is funded by the Department for Education through the adult education budget, which in several regions is managed by the relevant mayoral combined authority. The department is working with DWP to help deliver the extra 80,000 SWAP places for financial year 2021/22 announced by DWP in February this year. Professional, impartial careers information, advice and guidance underpins the range of measures being offered via the Plan For Jobs. Careers advisers help individuals and organisations to consider the different programmes, including apprenticeships, traineeships, Kickstart, SWAP, learning and upskilling opportunities, and help them to determine which route would be best for them. The department continues to work closely with DWP to make sure that our respective offers for job seekers and universal credit claimants complement each other and that customers enjoy a joined-up user experience, which helps them to progress.
The department is also working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the green jobs task force, which focuses on the immediate and longer-term challenges of delivering skilled workers for the UK’s transition to a net zero agenda.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to increase long-term funding to meet the needs of the further education sector.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
We are investing an additional £291 million in 16-19 education in the 2021/22 financial year. This is in addition to the £400 million awarded in the 2019 Spending Review. This will allow us to maintain the base rate of funding at £4,188 for all types of providers and to continue with the increased funding for high value and high cost subjects, including the High Value Courses Premium. Overall, there has been an increase in cash terms of funding per student of over 9% in published allocations for the 2020/21 academic year compared with the 2019/20 academic year. This is following the rate increases in the 2019 Spending Review, and these higher rates will be maintained in 2021/22 allocations.
We are continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB): £1.34 billion in the 2020/21 academic year.
Future funding for 16-19 and AEB provision beyond 2021/22 is subject to the upcoming Spending Review.
We are also investing £138 million from the National Skills Fund for Free Courses for Jobs and Skills Bootcamps offers over the current Spending Review period. We remain committed to £2.5 billion investment, in England, for the National Skills Fund across five years.
In the 2021/22 financial year, funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England is almost £2.5 billion, double what was spent in 2010/11.
We are supporting employers to increase the use of apprenticeships by increasing the incentive payments for employer to £3,000 for each new apprentice they hire as a new employee.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of adults have Level 2 as their highest qualification; and how many of those people are (a) in employment, (b) unemployed and (c) claiming benefits.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The latest estimate as of the end of 2019 for the proportion of adults, aged between 19 and 64 years, who have level 2 as their highest qualification is 18%, as estimated by the Labour Force Survey and reported in the publication education and training statistics for the UK.
Data on employment, unemployment, pay and income, and benefits by highest qualification level for the wider age group of 16 to 64 year olds in the UK is estimated using the Annual Population Survey of 2019.
The table below shows the percentage and number of working age people, aged 16 to 64 years old, in the UK who are and not in full time education and either employed, economically inactive or unemployed who reported their highest qualification as level 2 in 2019. Those claiming benefits would either be classified as unemployed or economically inactive in the table below.
| Percentage with level 2 as highest qualification | Number with level 2 as highest qualification |
Employed | 76% | 4,640,000 |
Unemployed | 3% | 210,000 |
Economically Inactive | 21% | 1,277,000 |
Total | 100% | 6,128,000 |
Percentages in tables are rounded to whole numbers and figures are rounded to the nearest 1000.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 Mar 2021 to Question 159297 on Schools: Coronavirus, what other information or advice has been provided to (a) schools, (b) parents and (c) young people on applying exemptions from wearing face coverings in schools and classrooms; and which advice or guidance from his Department sets out what action should be taken if masks are removed to aid communication between teachers and pupils.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department’s advice on face coverings is outlined clearly in published guidance, which can be found at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education.
We have also published information for parents and carers about attending schools, nurseries and colleges in the spring term 2021. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
Our recommendation regarding the use of face coverings in classrooms applies to those in schools and colleges where Year 7 and above are educated unless social distancing can be maintained in classrooms. Whilst we recognise that the wearing of face coverings may impact communication, increased use of face coverings will strengthen the current safety measures in place in schools and support the return to face to face education.
As the guidance outlines, those who rely on visual signals for communication, or communicate with or provide support to such individuals, are currently exempt from any requirement to wear face coverings in schools and colleges or in public places. The same exemptions apply in schools and we expect staff, pupils and students to be sensitive to those needs, noting that some people are less able to wear face coverings and that the reasons for this may not be visible to others.
Schools should follow the system of controls as outlined in our guidance and put in place proportionate control measures that suit their individual circumstances, based on a thorough risk assessment. This should include making reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils and students to support them to access education successfully.
We continue to provide information to the sector on our guidance, and any changes to it, through regular departmental communications. These additional precautionary measures will be kept under review and we will update guidance as necessary.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what advice he plans to give to secondary schools on how they can apply exemptions from wearing face coverings from the 8 March 2021 as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department continues to work closely with other Government Departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We continue to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.
The Department has recently published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance from 8 March 2021, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.
As the guidance outlines, where pupils in Year 7 and above are taught, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.
In addition, from 8 March 2021, we now also recommend that in those schools where pupils in Year 7 and above are taught, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.
Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools.
Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
We are recommending these additional precautionary measures for a for a time limited period until Easter. As with all measures, we will keep this under review and update guidance as necessary.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his press release, dated Monday 22 February 2021 on the planned extended use of face coverings in class rooms in secondary schools in England, what guidance he (a) has issued and (b) plans to issue to (i) teachers and (ii) parents on (A) deaf and (B) other pupils who require lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate within such settings when face coverings are worn.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department continues to work closely with other Government Departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We continue to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.
The Department has recently published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance from 8 March 2021, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.
As the guidance outlines, where pupils in Year 7 and above are taught, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.
In addition, from 8 March 2021, we now also recommend that in those schools where pupils in Year 7 and above are taught, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.
Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools.
Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
We are recommending these additional precautionary measures for a for a time limited period until Easter. As with all measures, we will keep this under review and update guidance as necessary.