Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the number of reoffenders aged 18 years or over by (a) age and (b) offence type for the year ending March 2023.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The number of reoffenders aged 18 years or over by (a) age and (b) offence type for the year ending March 2023 will be published at the end of January 2025.
The attached tables show the number of reoffenders by (a) age and (b) index offence type for the year ending March 2022.
This Government is committed to reducing reoffending, and reoffending rates have fallen from 31.3% in 2011/12 to 25.2% in 2021/22. We are investing in rehabilitation to stop prison leavers falling back into crime – including tackling drug addiction, increasing the number of offenders in work and providing basic, short-term accommodation on release. We are also delivering the Prison Education Service which raises the level of numeracy, literacy and skills of prisoners, with the aim of securing jobs or apprenticeships after they leave custody.
On top of this, we are doubling the number of GPS tags available to courts for sentencing, ensuring more burglars and robbers are tagged which ultimately keeps our communities safer.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) adults and (b) young people have sufficient IT skills for work.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Digital and computing skills are critical to achieving the government’s science and technology superpower ambitions, which the department set out in the UK Science & Technology Framework in March this year.
The department has developed an ambitious skills agenda, backed by an additional £3.8 billion in further education and skills over the lifetime of this parliament. Through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), the department introduced a new legal entitlement in August 2020 to fully fund adults (19+) with low digital skills to undertake an Essential Digital Skills Qualification, up to Level 1. The department has further enhanced the offer by introducing Digital Functional Skills qualifications in August 2023. These qualifications were developed through employer supported National Standards and provide learners with the essential digital skills they need to participate actively in life, work and society.
The department has also taken steps to embed essential digital skills training as part of study programmes for 16 to19 year olds. Where students are identified as having low levels of digital skills, education providers will integrate essential digital skills development, where it is needed, into their learning programme.
The department has also funded community learning and other non-regulated learning, such as building confidence in essential digital skills, through the AEB. Many local authorities and other further education providers are already delivering these courses that help equip adults with the essential digital skills they need for work, life and further learning.
From next year, the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) will continue to support both qualifications and tailored learning, which includes community learning type provision, so adults can retrain and upskill in the most effective way.
Ensuring that all children, regardless of their background, have the world class computing and digital knowledge and skills they need for the future is a key priority of this government. The department introduced computing as a statutory national curriculum subject in 2014, from key stages 1 to 4 inclusive. The new computing curriculum supports pupils to become digitally literate and acquire the knowledge and skills they need to become competent, confident, and creative users of technology. Through computing, pupils are taught how to analyse problems in computational terms and write computer programs, how to use technology safely and responsibly, and how to create digital artefacts.
The department has invested significantly in the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) to improve the teaching of computing and drive up participation in computer science at GCSE and A level. To date, over 13,000 teachers have engaged with subject knowledge courses offered by the NCCE, helping to create more confident teachers of computing.
The department has introduced three Digital T Levels: Digital Business Services, Digital Production, Design and Development, and Digital Support Services. These are the gold-standard Level 3 technical qualifications, designed with employers to meet industry standards and with a significant industry placement built in. These will help to give important experience of work within the digital sector. Digital skills are increasingly important across all occupations, which is why every T Level has the digital skills necessary for employment embedded into its curriculum.
Additionally, employers have developed more than 30 high-quality digital apprenticeships to support them develop the skilled workforces they need. Apprenticeships include Level 3 Information Communications Technician, Level 3 IT Solutions Technician and Level 3 Digital Support Technician. In the 2022/23 academic year, the number of starts in the Information and Communication Technology sector subject area grew to 25,100 starts, up 10% from 22,820 from 2021/22. The department is increasing investment in the apprenticeships system in England to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year to support employers of all sizes and in all sectors offer high-quality apprenticeship opportunities.
Employers can also make use of the department’s Skills Bootcamp offer, which provides free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support she provides to employers to help their workforce gain a Level (a) 2 and (b) 3 IT qualification.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Digital and computing skills are critical to achieving the government’s science and technology superpower ambitions, which the department set out in the UK Science & Technology Framework in March this year.
The department has developed an ambitious skills agenda, backed by an additional £3.8 billion in further education and skills over the lifetime of this parliament. Through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), the department introduced a new legal entitlement in August 2020 to fully fund adults (19+) with low digital skills to undertake an Essential Digital Skills Qualification, up to Level 1. The department has further enhanced the offer by introducing Digital Functional Skills qualifications in August 2023. These qualifications were developed through employer supported National Standards and provide learners with the essential digital skills they need to participate actively in life, work and society.
The department has also taken steps to embed essential digital skills training as part of study programmes for 16 to19 year olds. Where students are identified as having low levels of digital skills, education providers will integrate essential digital skills development, where it is needed, into their learning programme.
The department has also funded community learning and other non-regulated learning, such as building confidence in essential digital skills, through the AEB. Many local authorities and other further education providers are already delivering these courses that help equip adults with the essential digital skills they need for work, life and further learning.
From next year, the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) will continue to support both qualifications and tailored learning, which includes community learning type provision, so adults can retrain and upskill in the most effective way.
Ensuring that all children, regardless of their background, have the world class computing and digital knowledge and skills they need for the future is a key priority of this government. The department introduced computing as a statutory national curriculum subject in 2014, from key stages 1 to 4 inclusive. The new computing curriculum supports pupils to become digitally literate and acquire the knowledge and skills they need to become competent, confident, and creative users of technology. Through computing, pupils are taught how to analyse problems in computational terms and write computer programs, how to use technology safely and responsibly, and how to create digital artefacts.
The department has invested significantly in the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) to improve the teaching of computing and drive up participation in computer science at GCSE and A level. To date, over 13,000 teachers have engaged with subject knowledge courses offered by the NCCE, helping to create more confident teachers of computing.
The department has introduced three Digital T Levels: Digital Business Services, Digital Production, Design and Development, and Digital Support Services. These are the gold-standard Level 3 technical qualifications, designed with employers to meet industry standards and with a significant industry placement built in. These will help to give important experience of work within the digital sector. Digital skills are increasingly important across all occupations, which is why every T Level has the digital skills necessary for employment embedded into its curriculum.
Additionally, employers have developed more than 30 high-quality digital apprenticeships to support them develop the skilled workforces they need. Apprenticeships include Level 3 Information Communications Technician, Level 3 IT Solutions Technician and Level 3 Digital Support Technician. In the 2022/23 academic year, the number of starts in the Information and Communication Technology sector subject area grew to 25,100 starts, up 10% from 22,820 from 2021/22. The department is increasing investment in the apprenticeships system in England to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year to support employers of all sizes and in all sectors offer high-quality apprenticeship opportunities.
Employers can also make use of the department’s Skills Bootcamp offer, which provides free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills.
Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department and has (a) budgeted for and (b) spent on advertising in each of the last three financial years.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department provides details of the funding spent on advertising and publicity as part of its annual reports and accounts, which are published in the usual way on GOV.UK:
The department uses marketing to support the delivery of strategic aims and government priorities, including to recruit teachers, reform the skills landscape, and drive take up of products and services like apprenticeships, T Levels and childcare entitlements. Since 2010, there are now 27,000 more teachers working in state-funded schools across the country, 5.4 million apprenticeship starts and the department is delivering the largest ever expansion of free childcare in England.
Spend includes different types of marketing activity, including advertising. Figures for the last three financial years are:
Financial Year | Total Department Spend on Marketing |
2020/21 | £20 million |
2021/22 | £26 million |
2022/23 | £40 million |
The department does not hold complete records of budget profiles for marketing and communications compared to final confirmed spending.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of apprenticeships undertaken in artificial intelligence related positions in the last 12 months.
Answered by Robert Halfon
There were 350 starts on the level 7 Artificial Intelligence Data Specialist standard in the 2022/23 academic year. Data for 2023/24 has not yet been finalised as we are part way through the academic year. Other apprenticeships may also contain elements relating to artificial intelligence.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to allow for mitigating circumstances for pupils whose education has been disrupted due to the presence of RAAC.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Ofqual is the independent regulator of examinations and qualifications in England, and its statutory objectives are set out in Section 128 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. These include securing that ’regulated qualifications give a reliable indication of knowledge, skills and understanding’, and that ’regulated qualifications indicate a consistent level of attainment (including over time) between comparable regulated qualifications’.
It is important to ensure that all students taking comparable exams and assessments are assessed to the same standard in order to maintain qualification standards and public confidence in qualifications. If different standards are applied for different groups of students, then the qualification will cease to provide a reliable indication of the knowledge, skills and understanding that it is intended to measure.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) recruit and (b) retain social care workers.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to supporting the recruitment and retention of the adult social care workforce, by ensuring that there are opportunities to develop and progress, and that people feel recognised. In January 2024 we launched the care workforce pathway, which will provide for the first time ever, a national career structure for the workforce. This is alongside our new nationally accredited care qualification, subsidised training places for care staff, and social work and social care nursing apprenticeships. The Government also continues to deliver the Made with Care national recruitment campaign, which promotes social care as a career.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers have completed the Army’s apprenticeship programme in each year since 2019; and in which sectors those apprenticeships were completed.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The information requested is provided in the following table.
Army Apprenticeship Achievements since 2019.
Apprenticeship Type | Route/Subject Sector Area | Aug 2019 - Jul 2020 | Aug 2020 - Jul 2021 | Aug 2021 - Jul 2022 | Aug 2022 - Jul 2023 |
Standard | Agriculture, environmental and animal care | 0 | 0 | 2 | 127 |
Business and administration | 0 | 114 | 162 | 198 | |
Catering and hospitality | 2 | 31 | 68 | 50 | |
Construction and the built environment | 0 | 0 | 3 | 126 | |
Digital | 6 | 0 | 10 | 41 | |
Education and early years | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | |
Engineering and manufacturing | 6 | 4 | 16 | 15 | |
Health and science | 3 | 43 | 196 | 168 | |
Protective services | 82 | 1,092 | 1,051 | 1,987 | |
Transport and logistics | 3 | 13 | 337 | 707 | |
Framework | 01 - Health, Public Services and Care | 1,368 | 312 | 102 | 45 |
03 - Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care | 199 | 132 | 145 | 26 | |
04 - Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 1,173 | 1,016 | 712 | 770 | |
05 - Construction, Planning and the Built Environment | 147 | 79 | 105 | 61 | |
06 - Information and Communication Technology | 764 | 839 | 574 | 110 | |
07 - Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 1,324 | 1,092 | 386 | 39 | |
15 - Business, Administration and Law | 140 | 38 | 2 | 0 | |
Total | 5,217 | 4,805 | 3,894 | 4,472 |
Notes/caveats:
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many sailors have completed the Navy’s apprenticeship programme in each year since 2019; and in which sectors those apprenticeships were completed.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The following table provides the requested information:
Sector | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 * |
Business, Administration and Law | 75 | 52 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 846 | 578 | 362 | 801 | 274 |
Health, Public Services and Care | 414 | 303 | 245 | 387 | 106 |
Information and Communication Technology | 364 | 392 | 83 | 18 | 21 |
Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 9 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 110 | 39 | 54 | 113 | 45 |
Grand Total | 1,803 | 1,374 | 751 | 1,319 | 446 |
*Information covers period to date.
Information provided by Training Management Group, Directorate of Personnel and Training.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people have completed the RAF’s apprenticeship programme in each year since 2019; and in which sectors those apprenticeships were completed.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The below table details the number of people who have completed the Royal Air Force Apprenticeship programme and the sectors in which those apprenticeships have been completed.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Health, Public Services and Care | 141 | 278 | 43 | 220 | 175 | 14 |
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 738 | 567 | 494 | 475 | 487 | 84 |
Information and Communication Technology | 135 | 219 | 221 | 218 | 247 | 36 |
Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 74 | 118 | 97 | 126 | 111 | 6 |
Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 0 | 3 | 27 | 21 | 13 | 0 |
Arts, Media, and Publishing | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
Data for 2024 is from 1 January 2024 to 8 March 2024