Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of resources available to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in England to support enterprise and entrepreneurship education.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Entrepreneurship education is an important component of high quality careers provision. The careers statutory guidance, updated in 2018, requires secondary schools in England to provide opportunities for pupils to develop entrepreneurial knowledge relevant for self-employment.
The Department provides resources and support to secondary schools through the Careers & Enterprise Company’s Enterprise Adviser Network, Careers Hubs and online resources, to make links to employers and increase young people’s exposure to the world of work. The Department also funds training for Careers Leaders to develop the knowledge they need to embed and deliver a successful careers programme in their secondary school.
There are now more than 4,000 schools and colleges in the Careers & Enterprise Company’s Enterprise Adviser Network working with business volunteers to strengthen employer links. Careers Hubs now include 45% of all state-funded schools and colleges across England and funding has been provided for 1,950 Careers Leaders training bursaries.
The result is that 3.3 million young people now have regular encounters with employers, including entrepreneurs and 84% of secondary schools and colleges are satisfied with the support they receive from their Enterprise Adviser. 92% of Careers Leaders state they have become more effective as a result of the training. The Department will continue national roll-out of this support as announced in the Skills for Jobs White Paper published in January 2021: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploaded/1244_careers_ed_2020_report18_0.pdf.
Over the last 18 months, the Department has focused on testing what works at a primary level. In partnership with the Careers & Enterprise Company, the Department has developed and launched an online Primary Careers Resources platform which includes free to use tools and resources from 15 organisations, including Primary Futures.
Financial capability is a key component of successful entrepreneurship and in 2014 financial literacy was made statutory within the Citizenship National Curriculum. Pupils are taught the functions and uses of money, the importance of personal budgeting, money management and the need to understand financial risk. The computing curriculum prepares pupils to apply existing digital technologies confidently and effectively but will also provide them with the fundamental knowledge needed to create new digital technology products and to create their own tech start-ups.
Schools can also cover enterprise and entrepreneurship within their personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. Teachers have the freedom to design lessons and resources in PSHE that meet their pupils’ needs, and they are encouraged to develop their practice with the support of specialist organisations, such as the PSHE Association.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to ensure that the British Film Institute fulfils its responsibilities to support the Scottish film sector.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
My department continues to work closely with its Arm’s Length Body, the British Film Institute, to ensure it meets the full range of its responsibilities, including to support the film sector nationwide. In its ongoing support for the Scottish film sector, the Government has worked with the BFI to ensure a wide range of funding and initiatives are available across Scottish talent development, production and heritage. In addition, recent Covid-secure guidance has been developed with input from across the nations to support in safely producing films in Scotland. Screen Scotland have been part of the Screen Sector Taskforce looking at the impact of Covid and recovery measures for the sector, in collaboration with DCMS and BFI.
Examples of support that have been given to the Scottish film industry include the BFI Audience and Film Funds, which offer funding covering development, production, distribution and promotion, supporting Scottish films and Scottish audiences; and Film Hub Scotland, which receives an annual BFI Lottery award as part of the BFI Film Audience Network to increase and diversify Scottish audiences. In addition, young people in Scotland have access to the BFI Film Academy and Future Film offer, with four Scottish partners delivering short courses in 20/21 and a well-established annual Screen Craft Skills residential. Furthermore, Film City Futures and Glasgow Film were recently awarded £1m from the BFI and Screen Scotland to support new and emerging talent.
Finally, in recent years the BFI worked in partnership with the Scottish Screen Archive in the Unlocking Film Heritage programme, which resulted in substantial digitisation of films from and about Scotland.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the New Futures Network has staff working specifically on the employment of women in and leaving prison; and whether it works with employers in women’s resettlement areas.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The New Futures Network (NFN) has a full-time Employment Broker dedicated to forging partnerships between prisons in the Women’s Estate and employers. These partnerships provide businesses with individuals who are ready to take up work opportunities within industries workshops, as part of workplace Release on Temporary Licence, and employment on release.
In addition, NFN has a Regional Employment Broker working in each prison group division across England and Wales. Regional Employment Brokers work closely with the NFN broker for the Women’s Estate, sharing employment on release opportunities generated in their geographical areas.
NFN is part of HMPPS whose reporting follows an annual cycle. The available information on prisoners working in custody (which includes activity undertaken by NFN) is published in the HMPPS Annual Digest but is not broken down in the way requested. A copy is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-2018-to-2019
Additional information that provides a breakdown of national employment outcomes by number, location and gender is published in the Prison and Probation Performance Statistics. The Employment circumstances table outlines all community outcomes and provides location breakdown in table 2 and gender breakdown in table 4 for an individual’s employment status at the start of a community sentence. A copy is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-performance-quarterly-update-to-march-2019
NFN intends to report on their work this financial year.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to publish a report on the work of the New Futures Network including the (a) number and (b) location of job placements, by gender, achieved under that initiative.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The New Futures Network (NFN) has a full-time Employment Broker dedicated to forging partnerships between prisons in the Women’s Estate and employers. These partnerships provide businesses with individuals who are ready to take up work opportunities within industries workshops, as part of workplace Release on Temporary Licence, and employment on release.
In addition, NFN has a Regional Employment Broker working in each prison group division across England and Wales. Regional Employment Brokers work closely with the NFN broker for the Women’s Estate, sharing employment on release opportunities generated in their geographical areas.
NFN is part of HMPPS whose reporting follows an annual cycle. The available information on prisoners working in custody (which includes activity undertaken by NFN) is published in the HMPPS Annual Digest but is not broken down in the way requested. A copy is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-2018-to-2019
Additional information that provides a breakdown of national employment outcomes by number, location and gender is published in the Prison and Probation Performance Statistics. The Employment circumstances table outlines all community outcomes and provides location breakdown in table 2 and gender breakdown in table 4 for an individual’s employment status at the start of a community sentence. A copy is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-performance-quarterly-update-to-march-2019
NFN intends to report on their work this financial year.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in the event that covid-19 lockdown restrictions in prisons are maintained or re-imposed, what steps the HM Prison and Probation Service is taking to ensure that women in prisons are able to access support, education and training services; and if he will extend the use of (a) Purple Visits and (b) other digital solutions to the provision of support services in prisons.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Since 24 March, prisons have been operating under restricted regimes, to comply with social distancing guidelines. The decision to implement these restrictions was not taken lightly - it was based on public health advice and mirrored the restrictions faced by the whole country, and we know the difficult impact this has on women, and particularly mothers in prison.
But there is no question that the measures helped save lives and, as a result, some prisons are now able to begin easing restrictions. Through the Gate services which provide employment and accommodation support have continued to be delivered, with priority given to those nearing release, and those being released early through the Covid-19 early release schemes.
While formal education and training programmes were temporarily suspended we have worked collaboratively with our partners to develop and provide a range of learning materials and distraction packs that can be used in cell to support continued learning during this period. Now this work is beginning again, and staff are using new ways of working to ensure they are delivered safely in establishments.
Further resources tailored to the specific needs of women are currently in development, with women currently in custody having helped develop them.
Work is currently taking place around future employment with the New Futures Network and within the women's estate a short/medium and long term strategy is being developed looking at how we can address ROTL and employment upon release.
Psychology services have also continued to be available for priority cases and they have been delivered remotely using phone or face-to-face contact where it has been possible to facilitate this.
HMPPS has put a range of digital solutions in place to support the working of the criminal justice system during the lock-down and to support prisoners maintaining contact with family and friends. These include additional video conferencing capability for conducting parole hearings and video calling for prisoners with family and friends
In line with the recommendations of Lord Farmer’s reviews, we have prioritised the rollout of video calling in the women’s estate. Whilst this current video call service is a temporary measure, intended for use whilst contact with family and friends is limited, we are considering the benefits of maintaining these digital solutions in the longer term. This would help meet Lord Farmer’s recommendations and ensure that we have capability to manage any future lock-downs.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work of Recycling Lives, in particular in regard to the steps it has taken in relation to (1) training and employment for ex-offenders, and (2) food poverty; and what plans they have to extend such schemes to more prisons.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
The New Futures Network, which brokers partnerships between prisons and employers, supports Recycling Lives to build partnerships with prisons, with the objective of securing work opportunities for individuals serving sentences in custody and those leaving prison. Sustainable employment and suitable educational opportunities are key factors to reducing reoffending and in turning offenders’ lives around.
The potential for any extension of such schemes will be dependent on a positive assessment of their practicality and contractual feasibility.
Asked by: Baroness Wheatcroft (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what decision they have reached following their consultation on the proposal that employers hiring an ex-offender should receive a National Insurance holiday for that individual.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The Government keeps all taxes under review and will continue to consider this proposal in light of its wider strategy on supporting ex-offenders.
The Government has already taken a number of steps to support ex-offenders in gaining employment, including establishing the New Futures Network, a specialist part of the prison service that brokers partnerships between prisons and employers; and committing to deliver a Prison Education Service, with a key priority being to enable more prisoners to find employment on release.
Asked by: Baroness Wheatcroft (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage employers to take on ex-offenders.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
The Ministry of Justice is committed to increasing the number of employers that provide employment for ex-offenders.
The New Futures Network (NFN) was established as a specialist part of the prison service that brokers partnerships between prisons and employers. These partnerships help businesses fill skills gaps and prisoners to find employment on release. NFN continues to work across England and Wales to engage employers to employ ex-offenders and support them to do so.
We also understand that employers want ex-offenders to leave custody job-ready and so this Government committed in its 2019 Manifesto to deliver a Prison Education Service, with a key priority being to enable more prisoners to find employment on release.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will hold discussions with employers on implementing an apprenticeship program for prisoners.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Apprenticeships are paid jobs which include high-quality on-the-job and off-the-job training. All apprentices must hold a contract of employment, which means they are not currently available to prisoners.
The government recognises how important it is that those in custody are given the support, training, and routes into employment that best meets the needs of individuals, and their future employers. The department’s apprenticeship programme is supporting this by working with the Department for Work and Pensions, Youth Offending teams and local employers, to consider pilot schemes which promote and encourage apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities to ex-offenders and those at risk of offending aged 16-24.
The Ministry of Justice also supports a wider range of provision to support prisoners into employment on release and governors can now commission specific provision aimed at meeting the needs of their prisoners and local labour markets. This includes the New Futures Network, created in 2018 to broker partnerships between prisons and employers, helping businesses fill skills gaps and prisoners to find employment on release. Information, advice and guidance services are also available in prisons to help prisoners identify career aims and work towards achieving these.
The Department for Education and the Ministry of Justice are at the early stages of exploring the potential costs and benefits of the various options for a potential future prison apprenticeships programme to complement existing schemes. We would expect that a prison apprenticeship programme will need to use the same standards and frameworks as all apprenticeships.
At this time, we have not made any estimates of the time required to develop models of delivery for prison apprenticeships. We will consider any discussions with employers and Cabinet colleagues once we have first established the practicalities and value of a potential prison apprenticeship programme.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to introduce prison apprenticeships with the same standards as other apprenticeships.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Apprenticeships are paid jobs which include high-quality on-the-job and off-the-job training. All apprentices must hold a contract of employment, which means they are not currently available to prisoners.
The government recognises how important it is that those in custody are given the support, training, and routes into employment that best meets the needs of individuals, and their future employers. The department’s apprenticeship programme is supporting this by working with the Department for Work and Pensions, Youth Offending teams and local employers, to consider pilot schemes which promote and encourage apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities to ex-offenders and those at risk of offending aged 16-24.
The Ministry of Justice also supports a wider range of provision to support prisoners into employment on release and governors can now commission specific provision aimed at meeting the needs of their prisoners and local labour markets. This includes the New Futures Network, created in 2018 to broker partnerships between prisons and employers, helping businesses fill skills gaps and prisoners to find employment on release. Information, advice and guidance services are also available in prisons to help prisoners identify career aims and work towards achieving these.
The Department for Education and the Ministry of Justice are at the early stages of exploring the potential costs and benefits of the various options for a potential future prison apprenticeships programme to complement existing schemes. We would expect that a prison apprenticeship programme will need to use the same standards and frameworks as all apprenticeships.
At this time, we have not made any estimates of the time required to develop models of delivery for prison apprenticeships. We will consider any discussions with employers and Cabinet colleagues once we have first established the practicalities and value of a potential prison apprenticeship programme.