Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the affordability of homes on new housing developments for first-time buyers.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership. This Government is determined to change that, ensuring that young families and hardworking renters can buy a home of their own.
The most sustainable long-term method to improve housing affordability and help people into homeownership is to increase the supply of housing. That is why the government committed to deliver 1.5m homes over the Parliament in the Plan for Change.
In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, we are committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme meaning first-time buyers will be able to take their crucial first step on to the property ladder.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of social homes built each year.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN 31737 on 27 February 2025.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the housing needs of rural communities, particularly in regard to land availability and infrastructure.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It is for local planning authorities, including those in rural areas, to assess the housing need of their communities. This should be informed by a local housing need assessment, conducted using the government’s revised standard method.
Local authorities should also make an assessment of the amount of new homes that can be provided in an area, which should be justified by evidence on land availability, constraints on development, and any other relevant matters.
The revised NPPF is clear that in rural areas, planning policies and decisions should be responsive to local circumstances. This includes ensuring that housing is located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities and support local services.
In relation to infrastructure provision to support housing, I refer the noble Lord to the answer to Question UIN 26106 on 5 February 2025.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that new housing developments meet sustainability and energy efficiency standards set in the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Environment Act introduced a new mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirement of 10% for new housing developments last year. This means new housing developments will result in more high quality natural habitat than there was before the development. The government is working closely with the sector to make BNG work effectively.
The government is also taking steps to ensure new housing developments meet ambitious energy efficiency standards through the Building Regulations. The Future Homes Standard is due to be implemented later this year, which will ensure that new homes are highly energy efficient and that they are “zero carbon ready”, meaning that they will become zero carbon over time as the electricity grid decarbonises, without the need for any retrofit work.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve infrastructure around new housing developments to support growing populations.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer to Question UIN 26106 on 5 February 2025.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to streamline planning regulations to expedite house building.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is delivering on our Plan for Change commitment to deliver a pro-growth planning system. In December 2024 we published a revised national planning policy framework, which strengthened housing targets and allowed for development on poor quality ‘grey belt’ land. The government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill will also speed up and streamline the planning process to build more homes of all tenures and accelerate the delivery of major infrastructure projects, aligning with our industrial, energy and transport strategies.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what data they have available regarding the long-term employment outcomes for individuals who have completed apprenticeships compared to those who have not.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The department publishes annual data on the employment outcomes of apprentices, including earnings up to five years after completion. The latest data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes#explore-data-and-files. 93% of those who completed an apprenticeship in the 2021/22 academic year were in employment in 2022/23.
Further, a report published by the department in 2021 compared the employment outcomes of those who achieved apprenticeships with similar individuals who did not, three to five years after completion. The report showed that, on average, achieving an apprenticeship led to a four percentage points increase in the likelihood of employment for learners aged 16 and over for apprenticeships at levels 2, 3 and 4/5. The report is attached and can also be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/986649/Measuring_the_Net_Present_Value_of_Further_Education_in_England_2018_to_2019.pdf.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support mechanisms are in place for employers who take on apprentices; and how they plan to incentivise more businesses to participate in apprenticeship schemes.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Meeting the skills needs of the next decade is central to delivering all of the government's five missions on economic growth, opportunity for all, a stronger NHS, safer streets, and clean energy. Through delivering the opportunity and growth missions, we will ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs. This will align with the industrial strategy and break down the barriers to opportunity for learners.
The government is reforming the current levy-funded apprenticeships offer to deliver greater flexibility for employers. Apprenticeships will remain at the heart of the offer. To support more businesses to participate in apprenticeships, the department is introducing shorter duration apprenticeships and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors.
Employers have been calling for greater flexibility in our apprenticeships offer and the government is taking action. Apprenticeships currently must have a duration of at least 12 months, but the department recognises that there are circumstances where someone can be fully competent in less time. We will introduce the flexibility where there is clear justification, to meet the needs of specific sectors and learners, whilst ensuring that we protect quality and continue to deliver strong outcomes.
Foundation apprenticeships will be a new work-based training offer that give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives, whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth. The department is working closely with employers and providers to design foundation apprenticeships that offer young people a good route into good, skilled work and meets the needs of the industrial strategy.
The department will take advice from Skills England as it develops the offer. More broadly, Skills England has been established to work together with regional and local governments, employers, education providers, trade unions, and regional organisations to ensure that regional and national skills needs are met at all levels, from essential skills to those delivered via higher education. Skills England undertook initial engagement over the autumn on the early priorities for flexibilities the department will set out more details on its plans in due course.
To support non-levy paying employers, which are likely to be small and medium sized enterprises, to access apprenticeships, the government pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16-21, and for apprentices aged 22-24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care.
Employers of all sizes can also benefit from £1000 payments when they take on apprentices aged 16-18, or apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHC plan or have been in local authority care. This is in recognition of the additional support that younger apprentices may require when entering employment. Employers can choose how they spend these payments. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 where they earn less than £967 a week (£50,270 a year).
Employers that need help with employing an apprentice, including accessing funding, can access our employer support GOV.UK page, which is available here: https://help.employersupport.apprenticeships.gov.uk/hc/en-gb.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate collaboration between educational institutions and industries to create apprenticeship programmes that align with current job market needs.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Meeting the skills needs of the next decade is central to delivering all of the government's five missions on economic growth, opportunity for all, a stronger NHS, safer streets, and clean energy. Through delivering the opportunity and growth missions, we will ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs. This will align with the industrial strategy and break down the barriers to opportunity for learners.
The government is reforming the current levy-funded apprenticeships offer to deliver greater flexibility for employers. Apprenticeships will remain at the heart of the offer. To support more businesses to participate in apprenticeships, the department is introducing shorter duration apprenticeships and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors.
Employers have been calling for greater flexibility in our apprenticeships offer and the government is taking action. Apprenticeships currently must have a duration of at least 12 months, but the department recognises that there are circumstances where someone can be fully competent in less time. We will introduce the flexibility where there is clear justification, to meet the needs of specific sectors and learners, whilst ensuring that we protect quality and continue to deliver strong outcomes.
Foundation apprenticeships will be a new work-based training offer that give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives, whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth. The department is working closely with employers and providers to design foundation apprenticeships that offer young people a good route into good, skilled work and meets the needs of the industrial strategy.
The department will take advice from Skills England as it develops the offer. More broadly, Skills England has been established to work together with regional and local governments, employers, education providers, trade unions, and regional organisations to ensure that regional and national skills needs are met at all levels, from essential skills to those delivered via higher education. Skills England undertook initial engagement over the autumn on the early priorities for flexibilities the department will set out more details on its plans in due course.
To support non-levy paying employers, which are likely to be small and medium sized enterprises, to access apprenticeships, the government pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16-21, and for apprentices aged 22-24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care.
Employers of all sizes can also benefit from £1000 payments when they take on apprentices aged 16-18, or apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHC plan or have been in local authority care. This is in recognition of the additional support that younger apprentices may require when entering employment. Employers can choose how they spend these payments. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 where they earn less than £967 a week (£50,270 a year).
Employers that need help with employing an apprentice, including accessing funding, can access our employer support GOV.UK page, which is available here: https://help.employersupport.apprenticeships.gov.uk/hc/en-gb.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase funding for apprenticeship programmes, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises that may struggle to support apprenticeship placements.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Meeting the skills needs of the next decade is central to delivering all of the government's five missions on economic growth, opportunity for all, a stronger NHS, safer streets, and clean energy. Through delivering the opportunity and growth missions, we will ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs. This will align with the industrial strategy and break down the barriers to opportunity for learners.
The government is reforming the current levy-funded apprenticeships offer to deliver greater flexibility for employers. Apprenticeships will remain at the heart of the offer. To support more businesses to participate in apprenticeships, the department is introducing shorter duration apprenticeships and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors.
Employers have been calling for greater flexibility in our apprenticeships offer and the government is taking action. Apprenticeships currently must have a duration of at least 12 months, but the department recognises that there are circumstances where someone can be fully competent in less time. We will introduce the flexibility where there is clear justification, to meet the needs of specific sectors and learners, whilst ensuring that we protect quality and continue to deliver strong outcomes.
Foundation apprenticeships will be a new work-based training offer that give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives, whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth. The department is working closely with employers and providers to design foundation apprenticeships that offer young people a good route into good, skilled work and meets the needs of the industrial strategy.
The department will take advice from Skills England as it develops the offer. More broadly, Skills England has been established to work together with regional and local governments, employers, education providers, trade unions, and regional organisations to ensure that regional and national skills needs are met at all levels, from essential skills to those delivered via higher education. Skills England undertook initial engagement over the autumn on the early priorities for flexibilities the department will set out more details on its plans in due course.
To support non-levy paying employers, which are likely to be small and medium sized enterprises, to access apprenticeships, the government pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16-21, and for apprentices aged 22-24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care.
Employers of all sizes can also benefit from £1000 payments when they take on apprentices aged 16-18, or apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHC plan or have been in local authority care. This is in recognition of the additional support that younger apprentices may require when entering employment. Employers can choose how they spend these payments. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 where they earn less than £967 a week (£50,270 a year).
Employers that need help with employing an apprentice, including accessing funding, can access our employer support GOV.UK page, which is available here: https://help.employersupport.apprenticeships.gov.uk/hc/en-gb.