Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much was paid to retired teachers in pension payments in 2024; and what estimate they have made of the total pension payments to retired teachers in (1) 2040, and (2) 2050.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A total of £2.921 billion was paid by members into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in the 2024/25 financial year, and £8.866 billion was paid by employers over the same period.
In the 2024/25 financial year, £10.253 billion was paid to retired members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
The Teachers’ Pension Scheme does not produce long‑term forecasts beyond its normal planning horizon. Estimates for 2040 and 2050 are therefore not available.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much in total was paid to the Teachers' Pension Scheme by (1) teachers, and (2) employers, in 2024.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A total of £2.921 billion was paid by members into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in the 2024/25 financial year, and £8.866 billion was paid by employers over the same period.
In the 2024/25 financial year, £10.253 billion was paid to retired members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
The Teachers’ Pension Scheme does not produce long‑term forecasts beyond its normal planning horizon. Estimates for 2040 and 2050 are therefore not available.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the apprenticeship budget for the Department for Education in 2024–25; what proportion of that budget was spent in total; and what proportion was spent on (1) training for apprenticeships with levy-paying employers, (2) training for apprenticeships with non-levy-paying employers, and (3) other activities.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In the 2024-25 financial year, the English apprenticeships budget was fully spent.
The following table provides a breakdown of total spend for the 2024-25 financial year, including the proportion of total spend on training for apprenticeships with levy paying employers and training for apprenticeships with non-levy paying employers in England.
In addition, the table reflects the spend on apprenticeships that started prior to the introduction of the apprenticeships levy and new funding system, as well as non-apprenticeships participation spend, such as the cost of running digital services and marketing and communications campaigns.
Apprenticeships spend from the department’s apprenticeships budget | 2024-25 financial year (£million) | Proportion of total spend (%) |
Levy paying employers | 1,979 | 71% |
Non-levy paying employers | 742 | 27% |
Pre-reform apprenticeships | -1 | 0% |
Non-apprenticeships training | 49 | 2% |
Total | 2,769 | 100% |
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of developers’ ability under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to support apprenticeships and upskilling across local authorities as well as in specified developments, and to that end provide wage support as well as direct training costs.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Section 106 planning obligations are legally binding agreements made to mitigate the impacts of a proposed development. These obligations are an essential part of the planning system, ensuring that developments contribute positively to their surrounding area and address specific concerns that arise as a result of their implementation.
All contributions under Section 106 must adhere to the three statutory tests set out in regulation 122 of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) regulations. Any contribution must be:
Ultimately, the responsibility for determining whether a planning obligation is necessary to make a development acceptable lies with the local planning authority – including any obligation around to apprenticeships and skills.
Current planning practice guidance encourages local planning authorities to facilitate the process of agreeing planning obligations by using and publishing standard forms and templates. These resources may include model agreements and clauses, some of which have already been published by other organisations. Making these documents publicly available assists both authorities and applicants during the planning application process.
Guidance additionally states that policies regarding planning obligations should be clearly set out in local plans and subject to public examination, ensuring transparency and consistency in their application.