Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to regulation 13 of the draft Carer's Leave Regulations 2024 laid on 11 December 2023, for what reason the average rate of remuneration is calculated over a period of 12 weeks.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The calculation for establishing a week’s pay in the Employment Rights Act 1996 is set out in Part 14 Chapter II and the relevant period provided for the calculation is 12 weeks. Regulation 13 of the Carer’s Leave Regulations ensures that when making this calculation, weeks which include unpaid Carer’s Leave are discounted when it comes to calculating a week’s pay, as is the case with other forms of family leave, including unpaid Parental Leave.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent estimate she has made of (a) when neonatal care and leave will be provided under the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 and (b) the number of families that will be able to access that care and leave in its first year.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are committed to introducing Neonatal Care Leave and Pay as quickly as possible and work is ongoing across Government to deliver these new entitlements by April 2025 at the earliest, subject to parliamentary scheduling of the necessary SIs.
In the region of 40,000 babies spend over one week in neonatal care each year and it is estimated that approximately 60,000 parents will be eligible for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay with around 34,000 parents taking up this entitlement every year.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to retain teachers when they become parents.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Great teaching is transformational for children’s life chances, but the department cannot achieve its ambitions unless there are sufficient teachers. The department recognises there is more to do to ensure teaching remains an attractive, high-status profession, and to recruit and retain the best teachers. The department wants teaching to be an inclusive profession where all teachers, regardless of background or circumstance, are supported throughout their career journeys.
The department’s ‘Teacher Recruitment and Retention’ strategy, published in 2019, outlines the department’s approach to improving teacher retention, including activities which contribute to supporting teachers returning from parental leave or those with caring responsibilities.
Well-designed flexible working can enable individuals to reconcile work and caring responsibilities. The department is taking action to promote flexible working in schools, including by publishing non-statutory guidance and case studies on GOV.UK, a flexible working toolkit, and funding a programme focused on embedding flexible working in schools and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs).
This programme includes the delivery of supportive webinars and peer support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and MATs. This funded programme offers practical support with combining flexible working life as a parent, including how flexible working can be navigated alongside career progression.
The department is also clear about the importance of efforts to reduce unnecessary workload and an improved wellbeing offer for all teachers. Workload is often cited as an important reason why teachers leave the profession. The department is supporting schools to act and remove unhelpful practice that creates unnecessary workload. The department’s school workload reduction toolkit, developed alongside school leaders, is a helpful resource for schools to review and reduce workload.
In September 2023, the department launched a workload reduction taskforce. The taskforce is made up of union representatives, experts and experienced practitioners. The taskforce will make recommendations to government, Ofsted and school and trust leaders by the end of March 2024.
Staff wellbeing is also crucial to the department’s commitment to recruit and retain more teachers and support teacher quality. The department has worked in partnership with the education sector and mental health experts to co-create the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter and is encouraging schools to sign up as a shared commitment to promote staff wellbeing. Over 3,000 schools and colleges have signed up to the charter since it was launched for sign-up in November 2021.
Asked by: Steven Bonnar (Scottish National Party - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of SCS2 civil servants on full-time equivalent contracts in her Department are women.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2022/23 more than half of new entrants to the Civil Service were women (54.1%). In 2021/22 51.6% of new entrants and 53.9% of promotions to the Senior Civil Service were women.
The proportion of Senior Civil Servants graded as SCS 2 in the department as of 30 September 2023, excluding arm’s length bodies, is 50%. The proportion was calculated by the number of female staff at Payband 2 (Director) and working full-time divided by the total number of staff at the department at Payband 2 (where sex is known).
Monitoring of annual diversity statistics and recruitment data takes place to understand and evaluate progress in improving recruitment outcomes for protected characteristics.
During recruitment, the department uses the Civil Service Success Profiles methodology which assesses candidates across several elements, allowing candidates to demonstrate their skills and experience. Some roles, given their nature, do still require a formal qualification. Sifting is anonymised and we use recruitment panels, to mitigate against bias.
The department supports the Care Leaver programme as part of our career entry offer. This programme brings in young people who have been in Care and helps them gain experience of work, with a view to securing employment.
There are a range of cross-Government leadership development opportunities available for women in the department, including but not limited to conferences, talent pipeline schemes and talent programmes. Participation in these development opportunities is actively encouraged throughout the department.
The department also supports diverse working patterns and work life balance through a range of HR policies, including but not limited to policies on flexible working, special leave, parental leave, menopause and menstruation, pregnancy loss, and parental bereavement.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prison officers attended their shifts at (a) HMP Huntercombe, (b) HMP Maidstone and (c) HMP Morton Hall on 1 September 2023.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Information on the number of Band 3 prison officers who were on duty in the prison on that day at HMP Huntercombe, HMP Maidstone and HMP Morton Hall on 1 September 2023, together with the reasons for absence, are set out in the table below:
Attendance | Huntercombe | Maidstone | Morton Hall |
On duty | 48 | 55 | 44 |
Annual Leave | 16 | 16 | 13 |
Training | 5 | 11 | 15 |
Sick Absence | 7 | 4 | 7 |
Other Absences | 3 | 6 | 2 |
It should be noted that these figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
The figures for those who were on duty in the prison on that day include all staff who attended for all or part of a shift, including any additional-payment shifts and night duties. Those recorded in the category of ‘Other Absences’ can include staff attending medical appointments, and those on restricted duties, phased return, secondment, maternity leave, jury service, official duty, parental leave, suspension or bed watch, as well as any working at a different grade, taking time off in lieu or working remotely.
We have taken a series of measures to increase the prison workforce. Despite a challenging labour market, the 12 months ending 30 June 2023 saw an increase of 701 Full-Time-Equivalent Band 3-5 prison officers. This means we now have 4,000 more prison officers than in March 2017. We are committed to recruiting up to 5,000 prison officers across public and private prisons by the mid-2020s.
We recently increased the pay of the vast majority of frontline officers by 7 per cent. Combined with other pay rises, this means starting pay for prison officers has increased since 2019 from £22,293 to £30,902 (on the basis of a national rate, 37-hour week with unsocial hours) or £23,529 to £32,851 (on the basis of a national rate, 39-hour week with unsocial hours).
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prison officers at Pentonville Prison attended their shift on 17 July 2023.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
On 17 July 2023, 1,179 prisoners were held at HMP Pentonville. 83 Band 3 Prison Officers were on duty in the prison on that day. Staffing levels were above the minimum staffing level required by the prison’s Regime Management Plan to deliver a safe and decent regime.
Other staff were not in attendance for the following reasons:
It should be noted that these figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
The data is collated to reflect individuals that attended throughout the day, this will be culmination of varying shifts throughout the period.
The numbers who were on duty includes all staff that attended for all/part of a shift in the establishment, including any additional payment shifts & night duties. Those recorded in the category of ‘Other absences’ can include staff on Medical Appointments, Restricted Duties, Phased Return, Secondment, Maternity leave, Jury Service, Official Duty, Parental Leave, Suspension, Bedwatch, working at a different grade, time off in lieu and remote working.
We have taken a series of measures to increase the prison workforce. Despite a challenging labour market, the 12 months ending 30 June 2023 saw an increase of 701 Full Time Equivalent Band 3-5 prison officers. This means we now have 4,000 more prison officers than in March 2017. We are committed to recruiting up to 5,000 prison officers across public and private prisons by the mid-2020s.
We recently increased the pay of the vast majority of frontline officers by 7 per cent. Combined with other pay rises, this means starting pay for prison officers has increased since 2019 from £22,293 to £30,902 (on the basis of a national rate, 37 hour week with unsocial hours) or £23,529 to £32,851 (on the basis of a national rate, 39 hour week with unsocial hours).
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were held at Pentonville Prison on 17 July 2023.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
On 17 July 2023, 1,179 prisoners were held at HMP Pentonville. 83 Band 3 Prison Officers were on duty in the prison on that day. Staffing levels were above the minimum staffing level required by the prison’s Regime Management Plan to deliver a safe and decent regime.
Other staff were not in attendance for the following reasons:
It should be noted that these figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
The data is collated to reflect individuals that attended throughout the day, this will be culmination of varying shifts throughout the period.
The numbers who were on duty includes all staff that attended for all/part of a shift in the establishment, including any additional payment shifts & night duties. Those recorded in the category of ‘Other absences’ can include staff on Medical Appointments, Restricted Duties, Phased Return, Secondment, Maternity leave, Jury Service, Official Duty, Parental Leave, Suspension, Bedwatch, working at a different grade, time off in lieu and remote working.
We have taken a series of measures to increase the prison workforce. Despite a challenging labour market, the 12 months ending 30 June 2023 saw an increase of 701 Full Time Equivalent Band 3-5 prison officers. This means we now have 4,000 more prison officers than in March 2017. We are committed to recruiting up to 5,000 prison officers across public and private prisons by the mid-2020s.
We recently increased the pay of the vast majority of frontline officers by 7 per cent. Combined with other pay rises, this means starting pay for prison officers has increased since 2019 from £22,293 to £30,902 (on the basis of a national rate, 37 hour week with unsocial hours) or £23,529 to £32,851 (on the basis of a national rate, 39 hour week with unsocial hours).
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) flexibility and (b) rates of pay of apprenticeship schemes.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Apprenticeships provide a fantastic opportunity for people to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to progress in their chosen careers, and we want to ensure that the programme is flexible so that apprenticeships are widely accessible to all.
To support flexibility, we enable those working full-time, part-time and flexible hours to undertake apprenticeships, and apprentices can take short or extended breaks (for example for parental leave) during their programme. For those working in sectors with short-term and project-based employment models, we have created flexi-job apprenticeships, and those with significant prior learning and experience can undertake an accelerated apprenticeship and achieve occupational competence more quickly. We also provide additional funding to support those apprentices who require reasonable adjustments to undertake learning.
The department is committed to ensuring that apprentice pay supports the attraction and retention of talented individuals into apprenticeships.
We recognise that apprentices may be experiencing financial pressures because of rises in the cost of living. In November 2022, the government accepted, in full, the Low Pay Commission’s recommendation to increase the Apprentice National Minimum Wage by 9.7% to £5.28 from April 2023. This increase will help to counter the impact of rises in the cost of living, and the department continues to provide financial support to encourage more apprenticeship opportunities for all people.
Many employers choose to pay their apprentices more than the national minimum wage rates, recognising the value that apprentices bring to their workplace. Data shows that average hourly pay for apprentices’ ranges between £8.23 for Level 2 and £14.02 for Level 6.
We continue to make £1,000 payments to employers and providers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and apprentices aged 19 to 24 that have an Education, Health and Care plan, which can be used to support costs such as wages, uniforms or travel. In addition, we increased our care leavers’ bursary from £1,000 to £3,000 in August 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many police officers left the police force in each year since 2019.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes information on the size and composition of the police workforce, including officer numbers and leavers, in England and Wales, broken down by Police Force Area (PFA), annually in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales
Data on the number of police officers in the police service, as at 31 March in each year from 2007 to 2023, can be found in the ‘Police Workforce Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1172892/open-data-table-police-workforce-260723.ods
This data is available on both a full-time equivalent (FTE) and headcount basis and includes officers seconded into forces as well as officers on career breaks or parental leave.
Table 1 below shows the number of police officers employed in the England in Wales, by year, in both headcount and full-time equivalent (FTE) terms.
Table 1: Police officer numbers, by year, England and Wales
As at 31 March | Number of officers (headcount) | Number of officers (FTE) |
2019 | 125,811 | 123,189 |
2020 | 131,576 | 129,110 |
2021 | 137,690 | 135,301 |
2022 | 142,505 | 140,228 |
2023 | 149,566 | 147,430 |
Data on the number of police officers leaving the police service, in the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2023, can be found in the ‘Leavers Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1172932/open-data-table-police-workforce-leavers-260723.ods
The table 2 below shows the number of police officers leavers (excluding transfers between forces) in the England in Wales, by year, in FTE terms.
Table 2: Police officer leavers (excluding transfers) by year, England and Wales
Year ending 31 March | Police officer leavers (FTE) |
2019 | 7,387 |
2020 | 7,141 |
2021 | 6,018 |
2022 | 8,117 |
2023 | 9,192 |
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total number of serving police officers in each year since 2019.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes information on the size and composition of the police workforce, including officer numbers and leavers, in England and Wales, broken down by Police Force Area (PFA), annually in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales
Data on the number of police officers in the police service, as at 31 March in each year from 2007 to 2023, can be found in the ‘Police Workforce Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1172892/open-data-table-police-workforce-260723.ods
This data is available on both a full-time equivalent (FTE) and headcount basis and includes officers seconded into forces as well as officers on career breaks or parental leave.
Table 1 below shows the number of police officers employed in the England in Wales, by year, in both headcount and full-time equivalent (FTE) terms.
Table 1: Police officer numbers, by year, England and Wales
As at 31 March | Number of officers (headcount) | Number of officers (FTE) |
2019 | 125,811 | 123,189 |
2020 | 131,576 | 129,110 |
2021 | 137,690 | 135,301 |
2022 | 142,505 | 140,228 |
2023 | 149,566 | 147,430 |
Data on the number of police officers leaving the police service, in the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2023, can be found in the ‘Leavers Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1172932/open-data-table-police-workforce-leavers-260723.ods
The table 2 below shows the number of police officers leavers (excluding transfers between forces) in the England in Wales, by year, in FTE terms.
Table 2: Police officer leavers (excluding transfers) by year, England and Wales
Year ending 31 March | Police officer leavers (FTE) |
2019 | 7,387 |
2020 | 7,141 |
2021 | 6,018 |
2022 | 8,117 |
2023 | 9,192 |