Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding the Welsh Government has received in each year since 2015-16 for the training provided for apprenticeships.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Rather than receiving funding for specific programmes or policy areas, the devolved administrations receive block grants from the UK Government. It is generally for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their block grant funding in devolved areas.
All changes to devolved administration block grants are published in the Block Grant Transparency document, which is due to be updated shortly. The latest publication is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-grant-transparency-december-2021
The devolved administrations are well-funded to deliver all their devolved responsibilities, each receiving over 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in other parts of the UK. This is around 25% more for the Scottish Government and around 20% more for the Welsh Government and NI Executive.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding the Scottish Government has received in each year since 2015-16 for the training provided for apprenticeships.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Rather than receiving funding for specific programmes or policy areas, the devolved administrations receive block grants from the UK Government. It is generally for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their block grant funding in devolved areas.
All changes to devolved administration block grants are published in the Block Grant Transparency document, which is due to be updated shortly. The latest publication is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-grant-transparency-december-2021
The devolved administrations are well-funded to deliver all their devolved responsibilities, each receiving over 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in other parts of the UK. This is around 25% more for the Scottish Government and around 20% more for the Welsh Government and NI Executive.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was generated by the apprenticeship levy in each year since its creation.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced in April 2017. Monthly receipts data for the Apprenticeship Levy is published by HM Revenue and Customs in their Tax and NIC Receipts publication which can be found online at:
HMRC tax receipts and National Insurance contributions for the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what qualifications are required for the role of work coach within job centres.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Work Coaches are not required to hold any specific qualifications to undertake their role. They undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality, efficient service to all claimants. Work Coaches receive on-going learning in their roles and access to guidance which is refreshed at regular intervals.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reclassifying sunscreen products as essential healthcare items for VAT purposes.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
VAT rules do not distinguish between supplies on the basis of whether they might be considered essential. The standard rate of VAT applies to most goods and services, including sun safety products.
High-factor sunscreen is on the NHS prescription list for certain conditions and therefore is provided VAT free when dispensed by a pharmacist.
The Government keeps all taxes under review, however, there are currently no plans to change the VAT treatment of sunscreen products.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received about the adequacy of the key stage two English reading test that was taken on 10 May 2023.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for the development and delivery of national curriculum tests and assessments. Its work on National Curriculum assessments is regulated by Ofqual.
The STA works independently on test materials. Ministers have no involvement in test development or in the selection of the content of the test. Ministers do not have access to the test materials until they are published after the end of the timetable variation window, which is five school days after the scheduled test date. Ministers likewise are not involved in the standards maintenance process which determines the threshold for the expected standard each year.
The STA has met with stakeholders, including teacher and school leader unions and headteachers, to understand their views on the end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests this year, and are responding to correspondence from schools, parents and other individuals regarding the tests.
The STA will continue to engage with schools, unions, and other stakeholders to understand their views on the papers this year, and in regard to all aspects of primary assessment.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people work in Memory Assessment Services in (a) Chesterfield constituency, (b) Derbyshire and (c) England.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The number of people that work in Memory Assessment Services in Derby & Derbyshire ICB is 23. The information requested is not collected by constituency, however Derby & Derbyshire ICB have advised that 5 people work in Memory Assessment Services in the North of Derbyshire.
The information requested for England is not held centrally.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason there is a requirement for UK manufacturers to raise standard individual export licences applications for specific products into China.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
An export licence is required to export controlled items including military goods, software and technology and dual-use items specified on the dual-use list from the United Kingdom to another country. A consolidated list of strategic military and dual-use items that require export authorisation is published on GOV.UK and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-strategic-export-control-lists-the-consolidated-list-of-strategic-military-and-dual-use-items-that-require-export-authorisation
In addition, items not included in this list may be subject to an export licence for China if they are or may be intended, in their entirety or in part, for use for use in a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programme or intended for a military end-use.
All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. HM Government published guidance for Standard individual export licences (SIELs) which can be accessed on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/standard-individual-export-licences
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department had taken steps to increase the difficulty of the Year 6 National Reading Tests on 10 May 2023; and what changes had been made to the previous years' tests.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) is an executive agency of the Department. STA is responsible for the development and delivery of National Curriculum tests and assessments.
STA works independently on the test materials, which remain confidential until all pupils have taken the test. This may be up to five school days after the scheduled date of the test, as schools are permitted to vary the timetable in some circumstances.
Ministers do not have any influence on test content or challenge. In constructing the tests, STA follows the criteria set out in the National Curriculum test frameworks, which are available at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum-assessments-test-frameworks.
There has been no change to the specification for the content, structure, format, or difficulty of the National Curriculum tests for 2023.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to restore access to immunisation services around the world.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted global health and immunisation. The UK Government is committed to supporting efforts to get routine immunisation back on track and has committed £1.65 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance from 2021-2025 to support their mission to immunise 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives from vaccine preventable diseases over this period.
Alongside our Gavi investment, we are committed to working with countries and with the wider international community to focus efforts on building stronger primary health systems for the future as a core part of restoring immunisation services around the world.