Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to distribute the next allocation from the Dormant Asset Scheme, and how much this allocation will be.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay

The Dormant Assets Scheme is expected to release £350 million for England between 2024 and 2028. HM Government intends to allocate this equally between the four causes we have set out: youth, financial inclusion, social investment wholesalers, and community wealth funds. Further details will be published in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the current arrangements for the assessment of literacy and numeracy competence at the first stage of recruitment into any branch of the armed forces; what provision exists for adult education for (1) literacy, (2) numeracy, and (3) broader educational purposes, after the first two stages of the recruitment process; and what specialist and current expertise exists to assist senior officers in their responsibility to deliver professional and educational support.

Answered by Earl of Minto

The Armed Forces conduct a range of eligibility checks and assessments within recruitment pipelines, and these include the requirement for candidates to have minimum educational qualifications for entry into the Armed Forces. The single Services set their own minimum educational entry standards, and these are specific to the individual requirements of employment groups. Minimum educational qualifications for entry are regularly reviewed and amended to reflect the most up to date requirements of employment groups.

Following initial training, 95% of enlisted personnel are enrolled onto apprenticeships, which require Functional Skills standards. We support all Service personnel up to Level 2 Functional Skills English and Maths and provide further additional support for those with Specific Learning Differences. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) also promotes lifelong learning among members of the Armed Forces, using the Elective Education Schemes to gain higher level qualifications. MOD, and each of the Armed Forces, have specialist education and training policy teams to assist senior officers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the geographic locations, where known, of the main addresses for all living recipients of Companions of Honour.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently 63 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Information is only held on 41 living recipients. Honours data is routinely destroyed by the Cabinet Office in accordance with our data retention policy for honours and not all the nominations were processed by the Cabinet Office, therefore we do not hold all of the information requested.

Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded; this is usually their home address and does not necessarily reflect their area of origin. This data was gathered at the time that the awards were made and therefore the data for each recipient may not be current.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients. Transparency data containing the location of recipients is published on gov.uk.

Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Information on the number of nominations by mayoral region in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way.

This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised for, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists is publicly available on gov.uk.

Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many residents received an award above the level of MBE in the combined Mayoral authority of South Yorkshire.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently 63 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Information is only held on 41 living recipients. Honours data is routinely destroyed by the Cabinet Office in accordance with our data retention policy for honours and not all the nominations were processed by the Cabinet Office, therefore we do not hold all of the information requested.

Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded; this is usually their home address and does not necessarily reflect their area of origin. This data was gathered at the time that the awards were made and therefore the data for each recipient may not be current.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients. Transparency data containing the location of recipients is published on gov.uk.

Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Information on the number of nominations by mayoral region in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way.

This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised for, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists is publicly available on gov.uk.

Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the recipients of honours in the Birthday Honours 2024 list have already received recognition in previous honours lists.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently 63 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Information is only held on 41 living recipients. Honours data is routinely destroyed by the Cabinet Office in accordance with our data retention policy for honours and not all the nominations were processed by the Cabinet Office, therefore we do not hold all of the information requested.

Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded; this is usually their home address and does not necessarily reflect their area of origin. This data was gathered at the time that the awards were made and therefore the data for each recipient may not be current.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients. Transparency data containing the location of recipients is published on gov.uk.

Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Information on the number of nominations by mayoral region in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way.

This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised for, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists is publicly available on gov.uk.

Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many honours above OBE level were awarded to people who were (1) living in, or (2) working or providing service to, the South Yorkshire area at the time of their nomination for an honour in the Birthday Honours 2024 list.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently 63 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Information is only held on 41 living recipients. Honours data is routinely destroyed by the Cabinet Office in accordance with our data retention policy for honours and not all the nominations were processed by the Cabinet Office, therefore we do not hold all of the information requested.

Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded; this is usually their home address and does not necessarily reflect their area of origin. This data was gathered at the time that the awards were made and therefore the data for each recipient may not be current.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients. Transparency data containing the location of recipients is published on gov.uk.

Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Information on the number of nominations by mayoral region in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way.

This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised for, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists is publicly available on gov.uk.

Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many honours, by each award level, were received in each region or nation of the UK in the Birthday Honours 2024; and what percentage of the population of each such region or nation that number represents.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently 63 living recipients of the Companion of Honour. Information is only held on 41 living recipients. Honours data is routinely destroyed by the Cabinet Office in accordance with our data retention policy for honours and not all the nominations were processed by the Cabinet Office, therefore we do not hold all of the information requested.

Data is collected using the region that the recipient gave as their correspondence address when the honour was originally awarded; this is usually their home address and does not necessarily reflect their area of origin. This data was gathered at the time that the awards were made and therefore the data for each recipient may not be current.

Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of recipients at all levels for the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024 can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients. Transparency data containing the location of recipients is published on gov.uk.

Data is collected using county and aggregated into regional figures. Information on the number of nominations by mayoral region in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way.

This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.

Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised for, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists is publicly available on gov.uk.

Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much money (1) was raised by the apprenticeships levy, and (2) was passed onto the devolved nations from levy receipts, in each financial year since 2017–18.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton

Monthly receipts data for the Apprenticeship Levy is published by HM Revenue and Customs in their Tax and NIC Receipts publication which can be found online[1] at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk

While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. From FY2017-18 to FY2019-20, the devolved administrations received a population share of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s apprenticeship Levy forecast. Beyond 2019-20, the devolved administrations received funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending. The Block Grant Transparency publication which is available on GOV.UK sets out all Barnett consequentials generated at both departmental and programme level. It is for the devolved administrations to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investing in their skills programmes.

[1] HM Revenue & Customs (2024), HMRC tax receipts and National Insurance contributions for the UK

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total value of the Department for Education’s apprenticeships budget in each financial year since 2017–18.

Answered by Baroness Barran

The department’s apprenticeships budget is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts in apprenticeship levy and non-levy paying employers to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers and providers.

The table below provides the total value of the department’s apprenticeship budget for England for each financial year since 2017/18.

The budget figure for the 2024/25 financial year reflects the Spending Review 2021 settlement, as well as additional funding that has recently been announced to support apprenticeships, including the growth pilot announced at the Autumn Statement, and the additional funding the Prime Minister announced in March to boost apprenticeships for young people in smaller business and meet overall increased demand for apprenticeships.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of apprentice levy-paying employers have transferred the maximum 25 per cent of their levy contributions to other employers in each financial year since 2017–18.

Answered by Baroness Barran

Levy paying employers have been able to transfer a proportion of their annual funds to other employers since April 2018, when the maximum transfer allowance was 10%. This was increased to 25% in April 2019 and from 22 April 2024, the department has doubled the levy transfer allowance to 50%.

The table below shows the percentage of levy-paying employers who spent all of their transfer allowance in each financial year from 2018/19 to 2023/24.

Transfers provide levy paying employers with more flexibility about how they spend the funds available to them, including supporting other businesses such as smaller employers, flexi-job apprenticeship agencies and charities to help meet local and sector-specific needs. The department has improved the transfer system, introducing a pledge and match service on GOV.UK, to make it easier to find other employers who wish to take on apprentices with transferred funds. Since the service was introduced in September 2021, over 500 employers have pledged to transfer over £37 million to support apprenticeships in businesses of all sizes, as of 9 February 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners were recalled to prison under (1) imprisonment for public protection sentences, and (2) all categories, in 2023.

Answered by Lord Bellamy

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Found: LORD THOMAS OF CWMGIEDD LORD GARNIER LORD BLUNKETT BARONESS BURT OF SOLIHULL 135_ Clause 48