Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what fiscal steps she is taking to support (a) training programmes, (b) apprenticeships and (c) other efforts to promote (i) job creation and (ii) skills development in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Funding allocations are not available broken down to the level of individual constituencies.
The government is committed to creating a world-leading skills system that is employer-focused, high quality and fit for the future. The department’s reforms are strengthening higher and further education to help more people get good jobs and upskill and retrain throughout their lives; and to improve national productivity and economic growth. The department’s reforms are backed with an additional investment of £3.8 billion over the course of this parliament to strengthen higher and further education.
In the 2023/24 academic year, the department is investing nearly £7 billion for education and training places for 16 to 19 year olds, and up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This funding is allocated to education providers to deliver study programmes and T Levels to young people.
The department is continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), which totalled £1.34 billion in the 2023/24 Funding Year. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to Level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. This includes funding going to Boston College, which includes the Spalding Campus in the South Holland and the Deepings Constituency.
The Free Courses for Jobs offer gives eligible adults the chance to access high value Level 3 qualification for free, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job. Around 400 qualifications are available on the offer, chosen specifically as they offer good wage outcomes and address skills needs in the economy. There have been over 61,000 enrolments since April 2021.
Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks in priority skills areas, with a guaranteed interview upon completion. The department is expanding Skills Bootcamps through increased national procurement and grant funding to 30 Mayoral Combined Authorities and local areas to meet national and local skills needs in the 2024/25 financial year. The department granted Great Lincolnshire LEP, in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council, £2 million for Skills Bootcamps across Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland in 2023, and a further £3 million for courses starting after April 2024.
The department is increasing investment in the apprenticeships system in England to over £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year to support more high quality apprenticeship opportunities across the country, including in South Holland and the Deepings. There have been over 11,000 apprenticeship starts in South Holland and the Deepings since 2010.
The department has introduced employer-designed T levels, which are equipping thousands of young people with the skills, knowledge, and experience to access employment or further study in some of the most in-demand skills areas. 18 T Levels are now available, being delivered through over 250 providers across all regions of the country. University Academy Holbeach in South Holland and the Deepings currently offers seven T Levels and is planning to offer three more from September 2024.
Multiply is the government’s programme for improving adult numeracy. Multiply is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is the government’s flagship fund for supporting people and places across the UK. Up to £270 million is directly available for local areas in England to deliver innovative interventions to improve adult numeracy. Lincolnshire County Council has been allocated £4.02 million of Multiply funding from the 2022/23 to 2024/25 financial years to improve adult numeracy in their area.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the impact of potential job losses at Tata on the (a) wider supply chains and (b) economy in South Wales.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
This Government is supporting Tata Steel with £500 million towards building of the electric arc furnace, securing the future of steelmaking at Port Talbot. This will protect 5,000 steel jobs and thousands more in the supply chain. The Tata Steel/Port Talbot Transition Board has been set up to support those affected by Tata Steel’s decarbonisation transition, backed by a £100 million fund. Of that funding, £80 million is provided by the UK Government and £20 million will be provided by Tata.
The Transition Board has commissioned the development of a Local Economic Action Plan to assess the economic impact in South Wales, as well as provide the Transition Board with advice on how to support and grow the local economy. The full impact of Tata Steel’s transition on the wider supply chains and the South Wales economy depends on the outcome of the formal consultation, which remains underway.
This Government acknowledges the need for immediate as well as long-term support, especially in the wake of the announcement on 18 March that Tata Steel UK will cease operation of coke ovens at their Port Talbot site. This decision, while primarily an operational matter for Tata Steel UK, shows again why the UK government is right to step in with one of the largest support packages in our history to secure the future of the Welsh steel industry.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the US on (a) diplomatic, (b) humanitarian and (c) military support for Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We are in constant contact with our international partners to ensure Ukraine receives the diplomatic, military and humanitarian support it needs. The Foreign Secretary held talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to reaffirm international cooperation and support for Ukraine during his visit to Washington on 6-7 December last year and spoke again most recently on 7 March. The Foreign Secretary also set out the high level of UK ambition at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos in January and at the Munich Security Conference in February. We continue to work with US counterparts to deepen and strengthen our mutual priorities.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had discussions with her counterpart in Ukraine on the role of Ukraine's private sector in the country's economic resilience (a) during and (b) after the war.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
I met with Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, at the end of February.
We discussed the role of Ukraine’s private sector in the country’s resilience and reconstruction, the importance of transparent and clear procurement and the alignment between Ukraine’s reform agenda and enhancing its business environment both during and after the war. My department works closely with colleagues in the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and Government of Ukraine counterparts to address these important topics.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to expand the use of international rail as sustainable transport.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the growth and development of international rail services given the environmental benefits these provide, as well as the social and economic benefits for UK citizens and businesses.
My officials regularly engage with infrastructure managers, other Government Departments and European partners to discuss new routes and potential market entrants, and continue to welcome engagement with prospective operators where there is a credible commercial proposition to develop new services.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to promote the development of a domestic battery industry.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We continue to work with industry via the Automotive Transformation Fund to support the creation of an internationally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK, including gigafactories. With Government support, completion of AESC’s second Sunderland gigafactory and Tata-Agratas' £4bn gigafactory announcement will increase the UK’s committed battery capacity to over half of estimated 2030 demand.
We are also investing record sums in battery R&D through the Faraday Battery Challenge, to establish the UK as a battery science superpower, with £610m committed since 2017.
In November 2023, the Advanced Manufacturing Plan announced over £2bn of capital and R&D funding over five years to 2030, unlocking investment in zero emission vehicles, batteries and the wider supply chain. Alongside the AMP, we published a UK Battery Strategy, which outlined the Government’s vision for the UK to achieve a globally competitive battery supply chain by 2030 that supports economic prosperity and the net zero transition.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled International women and girls strategy 2023 to 2030, published on 8 March 2023, when he will publish a timeline of how he plans to meet the commitment that at least 80% of his Department’s bilateral aid programmes will have a focus on gender equality by 2030.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The International Women and Girls Strategy was published in March 2023 and we have committed to publishing a biennial progress report. The commitment that at least 80 per cent of FCDO's bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes will have a focus on gender equality by 2030 reflects how we are prioritising gender equality in our work and investment moving forward. The most recent official data, sourced from the Statistics for International Development and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Creditor Reporting System, is available for 2022. This data indicates that in 2022, 58 per cent of FDO bilateral ODA programmes had a focus on gender equality (using OECD DAC markers Significant and Principal).
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and (b) representatives of higher education institutions on the potential impact of such institutions' collaboration with Chinese higher education bodies linked to the People's Liberation Army on national security.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The government takes the risk of foreign interference in our higher education (HE) sector extremely seriously, regardless of its source. The department has made it clear that it will not accept collaborations that compromise national security. The department recognises concerns about interference in the HE sector and regularly assesses the risks facing academia, working with partners across government. The department will continue to take steps to significantly strengthen the UK’s protections from overseas interference in our HE sector, helping to safeguard intellectual property and sensitive research.
The ‘Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023’ will ensure that universities in England have the tools they need to deal with interference with, and threats to, freedom of speech and academic freedom. The Act will enable the Office for Students to monitor the overseas funding of registered HE providers and their constituent institutions and student unions, and to take appropriate action.
The department expects Confucius Institutes at UK universities to operate transparently and within the law, and with a full commitment to the government's values of openness and freedom of expression. The department has taken action to remove any direct or indirect government funding from Confucius Institutes in the UK.
The ‘Integrated Review Refresh’, published in 2023, committed to launching a review of legislative and other measures designed to protect the academic sector, to identify what more the government could or should be doing. This is currently underway and is led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. This will include an assessment of the risks to research security as a result of collaboration with international bodies.
The department also works with the sector to improve HE providers’ overall resilience and economic security. The department has encouraged Universities UK to publish a number of guidelines and case studies to enable HE providers to assess risks associated with international collaboration.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts on political stability in Pakistan.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a longstanding and close relationship with Pakistan. Following the general election in Pakistan on 8 February, the Foreign Secretary issued a statement which recognised the serious concerns raised about the fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections. FCDO officials are in close contact with like-minded counterparts, including NATO members, on a range of shared priorities, including Pakistan's political and economic stability.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of integrated care board performance reports; and what discussions they have had with NHS England concerning that matter.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department undertakes regular discussion with NHS England on the performance and oversight of the integrated care boards (ICBs). Statutory ICBs were established on 1 July 2022 and since then they have made real progress in understanding the health needs of their populations, setting out their plans, developing the infrastructure needed for collaboration, and bringing health and social care organisations together to serve the needs of their communities.
NHS England conducted an annual performance assessment of the ICBs for the 2022/23 financial year, from July 2022 to March 2023, and published the guidance Annual assessment of integrated care boards 2022-23: supporting guidance, for the ICBs. While conducting the assessments, NHS England considered how successfully each ICB: led the National Health Service within its integrated care system (ICS); performed its statutory functions; delivered on guidance set out by NHS England or my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regarding its functions, with a particular focus on the objectives set out in the priorities and operational planning guidance; and contributed to each of the four fundamental purposes of an ICS, which are improving population health and healthcare, tackling unequal outcomes and access, enhancing productivity and value for money, and helping the National Health Service support broader social and economic development.
These annual assessments included an assessment of how well the ICB performed the following specific duties, required under the terms of the NHS Act 2006, as amended by the Health and Care Act 2022:
- the duty to improve the quality of services;
- the duty to reduce inequality of access and outcome;
- the duty to take appropriate advice;
- the duty to facilitate, promote, and use research;
- the duty to have regard to the effect of decisions, also known as the triple aim;
- the duty to consult patients and the public about decisions that affect them;
- the financial duties; and
- the duty to contribute to wider local strategies.
NHS England published a summary of the assessment reports as part of its 2022/23 Annual Report and Accounts. All ICBs also published their individual Annual Reports and Accounts for 2022/23, on their websites. The Department is working with NHS England on its approach to the annual performance assessment for 2023/24.