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Written Question
Small Businesses: ICT
Monday 2nd October 2023

Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises are able to provide competitive training offerings to information security and technology professionals.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We are keen to support businesses with digital and technology skills which are critical for their growth and for the security of organisations and their customers.

Help to Grow: Management is an intensive national training programme equipping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the tools to grow their businesses. The curriculum focuses on leadership and management skills as well as some digital skills.

The Made Smarter programme supports digital transformation, including digital leadership skills, for SME manufacturers.

The National Cyber Security Centre offers a range of resources for SMEs including a “Check Your Cyber Security” tool alongside advice and guidance.


Written Question
Artificial Intelligence: Skilled Workers
Monday 2nd October 2023

Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop the necessary workforce skills to fulfil their plans for safe adoption of artificial intelligence across the UK economy.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is committed to creating a world-leading skills system which is employer-focused, high-quality, and fit for the future. We will continue our work to ensure that the education system is able to adapt to deliver upskilling and to provide the skills that learners need for the workplaces of the future, including jobs that will be impacted by, or require the use of, artificial intelligence. This includes increasing opportunities for people to develop higher technical skills through T Levels, Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, and Higher Technical Qualifications, as well as enabling access to modular learning through the Lifelong Learning Entitlement.

The department is investing in artificial intelligence (AI) skills at all stages of education, including higher education. We are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to deliver new postgraduate AI and data science conversion courses to boost skills and diversity in AI jobs. The government is also investing £117 million in doctoral training for AI researchers.

The department is also working with other government departments through the UK Science and Technology Framework to deliver talent and skills for five critical technologies, including AI.

This year, the department’s Unit for Future Skills is developing a Skills Dashboard to understand the supply and demand of science, technology, engineering, and maths skills to develop critical technologies like AI and quantum. This data will support improved access to relevant training.

Digital and computing skills will play an important role for individuals developing and using AI in the future workforce. The department is harnessing government and external expertise through the Digital and Computing Skills Education Taskforce to increase the number of people taking digital and computing qualifications and attract a diverse range of individuals into digital jobs.


Written Question
Science and Technology: Training
Wednesday 27th September 2023

Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve access to training relating to the five technologies identified as critical in the Science and Technology Framework, published on 6 March.

Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government's Science and Technology Framework, published March 2023, recognises the importance of training across the five critical technologies. The talent and skills strand outlines the actions the Government is taking across the science and technology landscape. This includes establishing 21 Institutes of Technology to provide industry-standard training facilities. Technology-specific examples include £25 million increased investment in quantum fellowships, doctoral training and apprenticeships. Additionally, the Government is providing £117 million for AI researchers doctoral training, and publishing new guidance that sets out AI competencies for the workplace. Investment in training will contribute to realising the UK’s 2030 science superpower ambitions.


Written Question
Migrant Workers: Visas
Wednesday 27th September 2023

Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 18 September (HL9792), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, what proportion of shortage occupation skilled worker visa applicants have passed the English language test requirements in the past six months broken down by occupation type.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

As the Government set out in the previous answer, the requirement to speak English is a core principle of the points-based immigration system – including for occupations on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). All successful applicants for the Skilled Worker visa (which include SOL occupations) will have demonstrated they can read, write, speak, and understand English to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.

It is not possible to provide data on those who do not pass because in many cases, people will simply not make or complete an application, but no reason will be captured in these cases.

The latest published immigration statistics, up to year-ending June 2023, show that there were 190,711 grants to Skilled Worker visa applicants (which includes the Skilled Worker and Health & Care Worker visa). The immigration statistics also provide a breakdown of applications by occupation, and can be accessed here: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-june-2023/why-do-people-come-to-the-uk-to-work


Written Question
Fisheries: Migrant Workers
Monday 25th September 2023

Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the recent addition of fishing occupations to the skilled worker visa shortage occupation list on the fishing industry; and what plans they have to ensure that that industry has an adequately skilled workforce.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The addition of two fishing occupations to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) is part of the Government’s comprehensive package to support fishing businesses make use of the Skilled Worker visa. These occupations will benefit from dispensations from the immigration system, including lower salary thresholds and visa fees. Given the occupations were only added to the SOL on 7 August, it is too early to assess uptake of the offer. The Government has also awarded £1.1 million under the UK Seafood Fund to help skill up and train workers in the UK seafood sector.


Written Question
Migrant Workers: Visas
Monday 18th September 2023

Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of shortage occupation skilled worker visa applicants have passed the English language test requirements in the last six months broken down by occupation type.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

The requirement to speak English is a core principle of the points-based immigration system – including for occupations on the Shortage Occupation List. All successful applicants for the Skilled Worker visa will have demonstrated they can read, write, speak, and understand English to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.

Further information on the English language requirement can be found on the .gov webpage overview of the Skilled Worker route, accessible here:

www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/knowledge-of-english


Written Question
Apprentices: Taxation
Monday 5th June 2023

Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of the apprenticeship levy in 2021–22 was (1) spent by levy payers on apprenticeships in their own organisations, (2) handed down to supply chain firms to spend on apprenticeships, and (3) spent by His Majesty’s Government on apprenticeships training for SMEs.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The UK Government, via HM Revenue and Customs, collects an apprenticeship levy of 0.5% on total payroll from businesses across the UK with an annual payroll expenditure of more than £3 million.

From this, HM Treasury sets an English apprenticeships budget for the department, and the devolved governments receive a share of the funding calculated using the Barnett formula.

The apprenticeships budget in England is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts for all employers of all sizes, both those who pay the levy and those who do not, and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers, providers and apprentices. The department’s apprenticeship budget for the 2021/22 financial year was £2,466 million and total spend was £2,455 million, meaning 99.6% of the apprenticeships budget was spent.

The table below shows the percentage of the apprenticeship spend against the budget by levy payers and non-levy payers in the 2021/22 financial year, including the percentage spend by levy paying employers through levy transfers to other employers. It also reflects the spend on apprenticeships that started prior to the introduction of the apprenticeship levy reform, and non-apprenticeships training, such as the cost of running the apprenticeship service, marketing, and communications campaigns.

Apprenticeship Spend

2021/22 financial year (£ million)

% Spend against Budget

Levy payers

1,592

65%

Of which: via levy transfer

2%

Non-Levy payers

817

33%

Pre-apprenticeship levy reforms

7

0%

Non-apprenticeships training spend

39

2%

Total Spend

2,455

100%


Written Question
Apprentices: Taxation
Monday 5th June 2023

Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide a full breakdown of what the £3.2 billion raised by the apprenticeship levy in 2021–22, as reported by HMRC, has been spent on.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

The Apprenticeship Levy is a key part of the Government’s reforms to the apprenticeship system to enable employers of all sizes to make a long-term, sustainable and high-quality investment in training.

The Apprenticeship Levy is charged at a rate of 0.5% of an employer’s annual pay bill. An annual Apprenticeship Levy allowance of £15,000 means that only those employers with an annual pay bill of over £3 million will have to pay and report the levy.

In England, the Department for Education is allocated an annual apprenticeships budget which is agreed at Spending Review. This budget is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts in all employers – levy and non-levy paying employers alike – across England, and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers and providers. This means that in England, levy payers’ unspent funds are used to support additional costs and apprenticeships in smaller employers.

In the 2021-22 financial year the total spend on apprenticeships in England was £2,455 million against the budget of £2,466 million, meaning that 99.6% of the apprenticeships budget was spent. Any underspends are retained in line with standard practice as per the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance.

Apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved meaning the devolved administrations receive funding through the Barnett formula. While the Barnett formula is applied to changes in departmental funding, rather than to budgets for specific programmes, this essentially accounts for how the residual levy revenues are used. It is for the devolved administrations to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investing in their skills programmes.

If the employer is levy-paying, with operations based wholly or partly in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, they will need to engage with the relevant funding authorities for funding apprenticeships located there. Authorities in each of the UK nations manage their own apprenticeship programmes, including how funding is spent on apprenticeship training.


Written Question
Apprentices: Taxation
Monday 5th June 2023

Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many companies in England paid the apprenticeship levy in 2021–22.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

There are an estimated 27,300 businesses (rounded to the nearest 100) with headquarters registered in England that paid the Apprenticeship Levy in tax year 2021 to 2022.

Please note that this estimate is based on where employer headquarters are registered, and therefore does not necessarily reflect where the liabilities are accrued. This does not include businesses with headquarters registered in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, who have a presence and pay employees in England. Meanwhile, this includes businesses with headquarters registered in England, who have a presence and pay employees in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, but it assumes that the total pay bill is within England.


Written Question
Special Educational Needs
Tuesday 28th March 2023

Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria they will use to decide whether a young person needs an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Children and Families Act 2014 is clear on the criteria for when a local authority should issue a child or young person with an education, health and care plan. There are no proposals in the recently published Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan to change the statutory criteria.