Lord Touhig Portrait

Lord Touhig

Labour - Life peer

Became Member: 28th June 2010


3 APPG memberships (as of 24 Jan 2024)
Autism, France, Netherlands
4 Former APPG memberships
Armed Forces Covenant, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg
Services Committee
6th Dec 2018 - 9th Jan 2023
Restoration and Renewal Client Board
17th Oct 2022 - 9th Jan 2023
House of Lords Commission
28th Jan 2021 - 9th Jan 2023
Services Committee
28th Jan 2021 - 9th Jan 2023
Shadow Spokesperson (Defence)
15th Apr 2020 - 17th May 2021
Shadow Spokesperson (Defence)
18th Sep 2015 - 17th Oct 2017
Opposition Whip (Lords)
18th Sep 2015 - 1st Sep 2016
Liaison Committee (Lords)
4th Jul 2013 - 12th May 2016
Public Service and Demographic Change Committee
29th May 2012 - 8th Nov 2012
Public Accounts Committee
5th Jun 2006 - 6th May 2010
Liaison Committee (Commons)
3rd Mar 2009 - 6th May 2010
Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
28th Oct 2009 - 6th May 2010
Members' Allowances
10th Feb 2009 - 6th May 2010
Members' Allowances
9th Feb 2009 - 6th May 2010
Armed Forces Bill Committee
19th Dec 2005 - 9th May 2006
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Veterans)
10th May 2005 - 5th May 2006
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
11th Jun 2001 - 10th May 2005
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Constitutional Affairs) (also in Wales Office)
12th Jun 2003 - 10th May 2005
Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)
17th Nov 1999 - 7th Jun 2001
Welsh Affairs Committee
15th Jan 1996 - 21st Mar 1997


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lord Touhig has voted in 429 divisions, and 4 times against the majority of their Party.

17 Jan 2022 - Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Touhig voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 6 Labour Aye votes vs 96 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 163 Noes - 216
9 Feb 2022 - Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Touhig voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 8 Labour Aye votes vs 67 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 120 Noes - 230
16 Mar 2022 - Health and Care Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Touhig voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 24 Labour No votes vs 51 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 145 Noes - 179
12 Jul 2022 - Schools Bill [HL] - View Vote Context
Lord Touhig voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 4 Labour No votes vs 29 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 82 Noes - 145
View All Lord Touhig Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Baroness Goldie (Conservative)
(23 debate interactions)
Baroness Barran (Conservative)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
(10 debate interactions)
Lord Markham (Conservative)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
(8 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Ministry of Defence
(25 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(16 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(12 debate contributions)
Department for Work and Pensions
(7 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Lord Touhig's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Touhig, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


Lord Touhig has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Lord Touhig has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
7th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the disability employment gap was discussed in Cabinet in each of the last three years; which Cabinet Committee has oversight of the policy; and what were the (1) dates, and (2) outcomes, of the last time it was discussed in that Committee.

There are a number of Cabinet Committees that could take issues related to disability employment. Cabinet Committees are listed on GOV.UK along with their membership and Terms of Reference. This list of Cabinet Committees on GOV.UK is updated regularly.

It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
17th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish (1) the names of members of the Veterans Advisory Board, and (2) the minutes of the Board's meetings.

The Veterans Advisory Board has been established to bring independent advice, challenge and insight to the Government to help deliver the Strategy for our Veterans and its commitment to make the UK the best country in the world to be a veteran. The membership of the Board is available on GOV.UK and the minutes of the Board, which met for the first time on 16 November, will be published in due course.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
17th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their paper The Strategy for our Veterans, published in November 2018, what progress has been made in improving data collection to help prevent veterans’ suicides.

Data about suicide rates amongst the general population across England and Wales are reported by the Office for National Statistics using information provided to registrars by coroners in their records of inquest. Historically, governments have relied on specific studies relating to the cause of death, including suicide, amongst veterans’ cohorts from specific campaigns, for example the Falklands campaign and the 1990/91 Gulf conflict. In order to ensure that the Government has the most up-to-date understanding of the prevalence of suicide amongst serving and ex-service personnel, two further studies are being conducted. The first is documenting all causes of death, including suicide, amongst those who have served in the Armed Forces since 2001. This study will continue on an ongoing basis to provide real-time data about causes of death, including suicide, amongst those who have served. A second study is looking at the factors in the year leading up to any confirmed suicide amongst serving and ex-service personnel in the last five years.

Whilst these studies will provide updated and improved data about the prevalence of suicide amongst veterans, the importance of this issue means that the Government is committed to exploring other routes, including a potential role for coroners, by which suicides could be recorded accurately and consistently so as to help inform improved support and interventions aimed at preventing suicide.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
17th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support the Office for Veterans' Affairs provides to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Government is taking a number of measures to improve mental health support for veterans including those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

These measures start with for individuals whilst serving in the Armed Forces where personnel now undergo ‘through-life’ psychological resilience training. Personnel have access to the Defence Transition service, launched in October 2019. This provides information and support for Service leavers and their families who are most likely to face challenges as they leave the Armed Forces, including those which may impact on their mental health.

The Government continues to invest in the provision of a world-leading mental health pathway in the NHS in England for those who have served in the Armed Forces, which encompasses the Transition Intervention and Liaison Service (TILS) and Complex Treatment Services (CTS). We are also accelerating a new High Intensity Service due to be launched later this year, which will provide further support for those with acute mental health needs. As well as investing in these services, the Government continues to work on improving the awareness of, and access to, these services, with over 800 veteran-friendly GP surgeries. In addition to the provision of statutory services through the NHS, the Government has, through funding provided to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and the COVID-19 Impact Fund, continued to invest in charity and third-sector organisations which provide services which support the mental and physical wellbeing of veterans. NHS England and NHS Improvement has also recently provided funding to a number of Armed Forces charities to support serving personnel, veterans and their families during COVID-19.

As well as clinical and charity services, the Government is also funding research and studies to improve the understanding of the issues and instances of mental health, including PTSD amongst the Armed Forces community.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
17th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the Office for Veterans' Affairs is taking to work with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that veterans who have become unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic find new employment.

The Department for Work and Pensions is delivering a range of employment support for those affected by COVID-19. These initiatives can benefit those whose employment has been affected by COVID-19, including veterans.

More widely, the Government is committed to helping veterans secure fulfilling and sustainable employment. The Ministry of Defence provides a Career Transition Partnership (CTP) to assist Service leavers in finding employment.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
21st May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relative environmental impact of awarding procurement contracts to British businesses compared to foreign businesses.

As part of the Greening Government Commitments, Departments are required to report on the systems they have in places and the actions they take to buy sustainably.

The 2017/2018 Greening Government Commitments Annual Report found that:

  • The majority of departments have a specific sustainable procurement policy or wider sustainability policy in place, or include sustainability within overarching procurement policy;
  • Most departments have undertaken or are planning to undertake supply chain scrutiny.
Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
4th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking, in line with their commitment to level up regional inequality, to address the statistic set out in the report by City and Guilds Group Missing Millions, published in February, that 21 per cent of people in the North East felt positive about job opportunities in their area compared with 45 per cent of people in London.

This Government is committed to levelling up the country by creating opportunities outside of London. Of the £3.4 billion invested in Growth Deals across the Northern Powerhouse, £505 million has been awarded to the North East and Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas. The most recent report released by the North East LEP highlighted that jobs in the area have increased by 74,000 since 2014, which represents strong progress towards their target of 100,000 new jobs by 2024.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
14th Feb 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing national guidance on how to adapt school environments to support the needs of autistic pupils.

I refer the noble Lord to the answer of 12 February 2024 to Question 11638.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
14th Feb 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current level of training on autism that teachers receive; and what consideration they have given to introducing whole school staff training on autism.

I refer the noble Lord to the answer of 22 February 2024 to Question 14564.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
14th Feb 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the National Autistic Society's Cullum Centres; and what consideration they have given to rolling out the Cullum model in mainstream schools across the country.

The department works closely with the National Autistic Society (NAS) and is aware of the Cullum Centres and the evaluation currently being undertaken by Goldsmiths, University of London, but has made no assessments of the Centres to date. The department engages regularly with NAS and other autism stakeholders to understand the issues faced by autistic children and young people and to understand possible solutions.

The department supports local authorities to provide sufficient school places for all children, including autistic children, through capital funding. The department has published over £1.5 billion of High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. This funding is allocated to local authorities to support them to deliver new places and improve existing provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with autism, or who require alternative provision (AP). This funding forms part of the department's transformational investment of £2.6 billion in new high needs provision between 2022 and 2025 and is on top of the department’s ongoing delivery of new special and AP free schools.

Reaching over 70% of schools and further education (FE) colleges, the Universal Services programme helps the school and FE workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND earlier and more effectively. The programme will also help the schools to successfully prepare children and young people for adulthood, including employment.  Universal offers online training, professional development groups, bespoke school and college improvement projects, sector-led research, autism awareness training and an embedded focus on preparation for adulthood, including employer-led webinars for college staff. The programme commenced in May 2022 and runs until Spring 2025, with a budget of nearly £12 million.

The department has begun collecting data from local authorities on available capacity in special schools, SEND units and resourced provision, along with corresponding forecasts of demand for these places. This data will help the department to effectively support local authorities to fulfil their statutory duty to provide sufficient specialist places.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
19th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what specialist support they offer to unaccompanied migrant children who have been arrested, including those who have been trafficked, to enable them to rebuild their lives.

The department takes the welfare of unaccompanied migrant children extremely seriously and we are committed to ensuring they are safe and secure. Local authorities have a duty to provide services to all children in need in their area. Under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989, those under the age of 18 arriving as unaccompanied asylum-seekers should enter the care of the local authority in which area they first present.

All unaccompanied children, including those who have been arrested or trafficked, should be safeguarded and have their welfare promoted in the same way as any other looked-after child. Social Workers and other practitioners including police, health, education and youth offender services practitioners, and those who care for looked-after children, are encouraged to consider the full range of support available to looked after children in their areas, including that from community and other organisations.

The provisions under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 ensure that if there is uncertainty over whether a potential victim of trafficking is a child or an adult, then that person is presumed to be a child and receives the appropriate support without delay. If practitioners have concerns that a child may be a potential victim of modern slavery or human trafficking, then a referral should be made to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) as soon as possible. Guidance on making a referral can be found in the attached document. The NRM acts as a formal framework for first responders to identify potential victims of trafficking and assists with the provision of victim support. Like any other child in need, a trafficked child referred through the NRM should be safeguarded by the local authority on which the referral is made. Where it is evident that the child faces a significant risk of harm from the trafficker, appropriate arrangements will need to be put in place to keep the child safe from harm, and the child’s care plan should include such measures.

In addition, the Home Office has rolled out Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) to two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales. In June 2023, the Minister for Safeguarding agreed to extend the current grant agreement to 31 March 2025, alongside working to deliver ICTG national rollout covering all of England and Wales. ICTGs are an additional source of advice and support for potentially trafficked children, and somebody who can advocate on their behalf to ensure their best interests are reflected in the decision-making processes undertaken by the public authorities who are involved in the child’s care. The support they provided is in addition to the statutory support provided to children by local authorities. Statutory guidance on roles and responsibilities of ICTGs is attached.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
11th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether section 20 of the Children Act 1989 allows local authorities to delegate their duties under that section for child protection to other public bodies.

Local authorities have a duty to provide services to all children in need in their area. Under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989, local authorities are under a statutory obligation to provide accommodation to children when the criteria in Section 20(1) is met.

It is the responsibility of the local authority to ensure that the duty to accommodate is met. Whilst the local authority can make arrangements with other persons to act on their behalf by providing certain services, including the provision of accommodation, the local authority is still responsible for meeting the duty under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989, and for anything that flows from a child being accommodated by the local authority.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
15th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend the Children Act 1989 to remove the legal duty on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need.

His Majesty’s Government do not have any plans to amend the Children Act 1989 to remove the legal duty on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
16th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have they made of the impact of the policy set out in the SEND review which makes mediation mandatory before allowing families to go to the SEND tribunal, on levels of (1) stress, and (2) administration, for families with disabled children.

Throughout the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Review, parents and carers told us how lengthy, stressful, and often expensive, the tribunal process can be.

The department’s proposals set out in the SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper, which is subject to consultation, seek to enable issues to be resolved earlier and improve relationships locally by strengthening mediation, including consulting on making it mandatory.

In the current system, in most cases, families must secure a mediation certificate before registering an appeal with the tribunal, but they do not have to participate in the mediation itself. If the parent or young person does decide to proceed with mediation, then the local authority must ensure that it arranges for mediation between it and the child's parent or young person within 30 days.

Waiting for a SEND tribunal hearing can take significantly longer. The tribunal has a performance measure that 75% of appeals should be brought to a hearing and the decision issued within 22 weeks.

Mediation is effective in most cases. In 2021, 74% of mediation cases were settled without the need to progress to a tribunal. Mediation is free of charge for families.

The department will make sure there is appropriate support available to parents to help them understand the mediation process and how best to engage with it. Parents will still be able to go to a tribunal if necessary.

The green paper is now out for public consultation on its proposals until 22 July.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
12th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the use of school league tables.

The department has no plans to carry out a formal review of the use of school performance tables. The department continually monitors the way the educational performance data we publish is used by parents, schools and those working with schools, such as academy trusts and local authorities.

On 20 March 2020, the government announced that it will not publish any school or college level educational performance data based on tests, assessments or exams for 2020. This follows the government’s decision to cancel the summer 2020 exam series, including GCSEs, A-levels, and other qualifications, and all primary assessments, as we fight to stop the spread of coronavirus.

12th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Berridge on 4 March (HL Deb, col 692), when the 48 special free schools "in the pipeline" are expected to open.

4 of the 48 special free schools in the pipeline have funding agreements in place and are due to open in 2020; 1 in April 2020 and 3 in September 2020. Up to a further 9 schools are also expected to open in 2020, although these do not yet have funding agreements in place. The remaining 35 schools are at a different stage in their development and we will confirm opening dates for them in due course.

12th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the length of time it takes on average for a child to travel to a special school compared with a child travelling to a mainstream school.

Information published in November 2019 by the Local Government Association in conjunction with census data indicates that more than 98% of pupils aged 5-16 attending special schools receive free home to school transport. This compares with around 5% of pupils attending mainstream school.

We have not carried out an assessment of the length of time it takes for a child to travel to a special school compared with a child travelling to a mainstream school.

The statutory home to school transport guidance suggests that good practice journey times should not exceed 45 minutes for primary aged pupils or 75 minutes for secondary aged pupils. It also acknowledges that journeys for children with special educational needs and disabilities may be more complex and, therefore, take longer. The guidance is available at the following link and attached: www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel-and-transport-guidance.

12th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children use home-to-school transport to attend special schools compared with children attending mainstream school.

Information published in November 2019 by the Local Government Association in conjunction with census data indicates that more than 98% of pupils aged 5-16 attending special schools receive free home to school transport. This compares with around 5% of pupils attending mainstream school.

We have not carried out an assessment of the length of time it takes for a child to travel to a special school compared with a child travelling to a mainstream school.

The statutory home to school transport guidance suggests that good practice journey times should not exceed 45 minutes for primary aged pupils or 75 minutes for secondary aged pupils. It also acknowledges that journeys for children with special educational needs and disabilities may be more complex and, therefore, take longer. The guidance is available at the following link and attached: www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel-and-transport-guidance.

12th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) pupils are in special schools, and (2) special schools there are.

In January 2019, there were 125,410 pupils in 1,044 state-funded and non-maintained special schools in England.

Information on the number of pupils and schools, including by school type, is published in the annual 'Schools, pupils and their characteristics' statistical release published at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers and is attached. A time series is provided in table 1a of the 2019 release and tables 1b and 1c provide this information by local authority. Figures relating to January 2020 will be publish in June 2020.

4th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing industry-wide skills forecasts to enable employers to anticipate workforce gaps and skills mismatches.

In February the department published labour market projections for the period to 2027. The published report and results outline the future shape and size of the labour market and employment prospects by industry, occupation, qualification level, gender and employment status. The report is attached and is also available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-and-skills-projections-2017-to-2027.

The results will enable employers to anticipate workforce gaps and skills mismatches; training providers to understand skills needs and consider their future provision; and individuals to understand the prospects for different occupations and qualification requirements when making career choices. To further support individuals with their careers decisions, the results are also made available through DfE’s Labour Market Information for All open data service that was a commitment in the department’s careers strategy and is available at the following page: https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/.

4th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the Skill India Mission to upskill people through public-private partnerships, and (2) the SkillsFuture initiative in Singapore to provide career-long learning opportunities; and whether they have considered adopting a similar model in the UK.

The government recognises that there are a number of international examples, including in Singapore and India, which provide useful insights to inform the development of our adult skills reforms.

We are also taking steps to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. Programmes including Apprenticeships, funded or co-funded skills provision through the Adult Education Budget, access to Advanced Learner Loans and the National Retraining Scheme enable adults to gain the skills that they need to progress or reskill.

The government has started testing the first part of the National Retraining Scheme, Get Help to Retrain, in 6 areas across England. Get Help to Retrain is a digital service that will help users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations and find and sign up to training. We will continue to test and further improve the service in 2020. The government is also providing an extra £3 billion to develop a National Skills Fund that helps adults to learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future.

4th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving to employers to upskill all workers.

The government is taking steps to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. Programmes including reforms to technical education such as apprenticeships, funded or co-funded skills provision through the Adult Education Budget, access to Advanced Learner Loans and the National Retraining Scheme enable adults to gain the skills that they need to progress or reskill.

The government has started testing the first part of the National Retraining Scheme, Get Help to Retrain, in 6 areas across England. Get Help to Retrain is a digital service that will help users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations and find and sign up to training. We will continue to test and further improve the service in 2020.

We are also providing an extra £3 billion to develop a National Skills Fund that helps adults to learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future. We are planning to consult widely on the fund and will be keen to hear the views of employers.

4th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to the recommendations of the report on the adult skills gap by the City and Guilds Group Missing Millions, published in February; and what plans they have to review adult education.

Our adult skills system seeks to increase productivity, support employment and promote social inclusion. The Adult Education Budget fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19+ from pre-entry to level 3 and includes funding to help learners to overcome barriers which prevent them from taking part in learning.

The attached City and Guilds Group report, ‘Missing Millions’, states that adult skills are becoming increasingly important due to adults being economically active for longer as well as automation and technological change. The department is committed to improving the offer for adults through user research and delivering the flexibility in training that adults tell us that they need.

Moreover, over the course of this Parliament, we are providing an extra £3 billion for a new National Skills Fund to help people learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future.

The City and Guilds Group report also highlights the important role that employers have in investing in training their workforces.

4th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to improve the statistic set out in the report by Boston Consulting Group Decoding Global Trends in Upskilling and Reskilling, published on 5 November 2019, that the number of Britons who spent a few weeks a year on learning were below the global average of those in training and work in 2019.

The government recognises that there are a number of international examples, including in Singapore and India, which provide useful insights to inform the development of our adult skills reforms.

We are also taking steps to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. Programmes including Apprenticeships, funded or co-funded skills provision through the Adult Education Budget, access to Advanced Learner Loans and the National Retraining Scheme enable adults to gain the skills that they need to progress or reskill.

The government has started testing the first part of the National Retraining Scheme, Get Help to Retrain, in 6 areas across England. Get Help to Retrain is a digital service that will help users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations and find and sign up to training. We will continue to test and further improve the service in 2020. The government is also providing an extra £3 billion to develop a National Skills Fund that helps adults to learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future.

27th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to increase the number of (1) intermediate apprenticeships, and (2) apprenticeships, for those under the age of 19.

Increasing the number of apprenticeships further is a priority, and we are actively considering how to do so. We have introduced a wide range of reforms to improve the quality of apprenticeships and to encourage employers across England to create more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds. In 2019-20, the funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England is over £2.5 billion, which is double what was spent in 2010.

For the smallest employers (fewer than 50 staff) who take on apprentices under 19, we pay 100% of apprenticeship training costs.

Apprenticeship starts in 2018-19 were 393,400, of which 37% (143,600 starts) were at intermediate level (level 2). 25% of starts (97,700 starts) were by apprentices aged under 19.

To ensure that young people hear about the education and employment options available to them, in January 2018 we introduced a legal requirement for schools to give training providers the chance to talk to pupils about technical qualifications and apprenticeships. We offer a free service to schools through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) project to ensure that teachers have the knowledge and support to enable them to promote apprenticeships to their students. In the last academic year, ASK reached over 300,000 students.

Traineeships are also helping thousands of young people to get the skills and experience that they need to obtain apprenticeships and other jobs. We are strengthening our communications with employers, providers, parents and young people to raise awareness of traineeships and the benefits that they offer. 62% of those who completed a traineeship in 2016-17 progressed to positive destinations, including apprenticeships.

27th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are planning any reviews of the apprenticeship levy.

We continue to engage closely with businesses and listen to their views about the apprenticeships programme and the operation of the apprenticeship levy.

We are committed to making sure the apprenticeship programme continues to provide opportunities for people of all backgrounds, while meeting the needs of employers of all sizes and delivering benefits for the economy.

27th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the completion rate of apprenticeships.

We have introduced a wide range of reforms to improve the quality of apprenticeships and to encourage employers across England to create more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds. Our reforms have made apprenticeships longer and more rigorous, with more off-the-job training and with an independent assessment at the end.

We recognise that some apprentices may not complete their apprenticeship. This can be for a variety of reasons; including personal circumstances, leaving for other employment or training opportunities, being promoted, or sometimes changing apprenticeships.

Programmes such as traineeships provide a pipeline to apprenticeships for young people who are not yet ready to do an apprenticeship, giving them the the skills and work experience they need to access these opportunities, and helping them to make informed career choices.

Last year, we worked with the Quality Alliance, made up of the bodies responsible for the quality of apprenticeships and provider representative bodies, to publish a quality strategy. This set out the expectations for a high-quality apprenticeship experience to help ensure that apprenticeships meet apprentice and employers’ needs and delivers successful outcomes.

We are continuing to take steps to improve our understanding of the apprentice experience and how the department, employers and providers can better support apprentices throughout their journey.

27th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure employees of all ages are gaining new skills.

We are working with employers to jointly design and deliver policies and programmes which will develop the skills that individuals of all ages need to be successful and that employers want.

These include apprenticeships, with our reforms benefiting people of all ages and backgrounds, including adults developing their skills.

This also includes Adult Education Budget (AEB) funded provision. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3 (including traineeships) to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

Advanced Learner Loans support clear routes into work, progression within work and progression to higher education (HE), by providing fees support for level 3 to level 6 qualifications. Access to multiple Advanced Learner Loans enables adults to progress or re-skill.

We are developing the National Retraining Scheme to support working adults to prepare for future changes to the economy, including those brought about by automation, and help them retrain into better jobs.

The government is also developing a new £3 billion National Skills Fund to upskill workers and prepare for the economy of the future.

Flexible and part-time HE also has a key role in terms of widening choice and participation. To reduce barriers for entering HE, our part-time undergraduate tuition fee loans are available to eligible prospective students of all ages. We have asked the Office for Students to continue to focus on part-time and flexible learning to deliver choice and flexibility.

27th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of people beginning apprenticeships were existing employees of the organisation they undertook the apprenticeship with, in the last year for which figures are available.

The department does not collect this information directly.

According to the 2017 apprenticeship evaluation learner survey, 56% of all level 2 and 3 apprentices were recruited specifically with the intention of completing an apprenticeship. Just over two-fifths of level 2 and 3 apprenticeships (42%) were undertaken by those in existing roles already working for their employer.

26th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they provide to those who wish to retrain but do not meet the stated criteria for the national retraining scheme.

The National Retraining Scheme will support working adults to prepare for future changes to the economy, including changes brought about by automation, and help them to retrain into better jobs.

In addition to the National Retraining Scheme, our wider adult skills system seeks to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. Programmes including apprenticeships, funded or co-funded skills provision through the Adult Education Budget and access to Advanced Learner Loans enable adults to gain the skills that they need to progress or reskill.

The government is also providing an extra £3 billion to develop a National Skills Fund that helps adults to learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future.

26th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the national retraining scheme will be rolled out across England.

The government has initiated rolling out the first part of the National Retraining Scheme, Get Help to Retrain. This service helps users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations that they could do and find and sign up to the training they need to access opportunities for a broad range of good jobs.

Since the start of the roll out of Get Help to Retrain in the Liverpool City Region in July, more features have been added to the service, and it has been rolled out to users in a further five areas. The service will be further tested and improved in 2020.

Alongside Get Help to Retrain, we are developing other products that will collectively make up the full National Retraining Scheme service.

26th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people participated in the initial pilot rollout of the national retraining scheme.

The government has started to roll out the first part of the National Retraining Scheme, Get Help to Retrain, in 6 areas across England.

Get Help to Retrain is a digital service that will help users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations that they could do and find and sign up to the training they need to access opportunities for a broad range of good jobs.

Since the start of the roll out of Get Help to Retrain in July 2019, over 1,000 users have tested the service. The service will be further tested and improved in 2020.

Other products are being developed that will sit alongside Get Help to Retrain, collectively making up the full National Retraining Scheme service.

24th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish a response to the consultation on children not in school, which closed on 24 June 2019.

In the spring of 2019, a consultation was held on proposals for a mandatory register of children not attending state or registered independent schools to help local authorities carry out their responsibilities in relation to children not in school.

Almost 5000 responses were received to the consultation which closed in June 2019. They have now been considered and a formal government response document setting out next steps will be issued in due course.

24th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 4 February (HL598), what progress they have made with the review of the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities; and when they will publish a report on that review.

The government is committed to carrying out the SEND review, first announced on 6 September 2019. In announcing that we are reviewing the system of support for children with special educational needs and disabilties, we acknowledged the challenges the system faces. We are committed to setting out plans to tackle these issues and build on our 2014 reforms which gave vital support to more children.

The review is ongoing and we will provide an update in due course. It is right that we take the time to consider how best to ensure support in different local areas is consistent, joined up across health, care and education services, and that high-quality health and education support is available across the country.

5th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review will consider the possibility of procuring a hospital ship.

DFID and the Ministry of Defence already work closely together deploying ships to respond to humanitarian emergencies. For example, following Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas last September, RFA Mounts Bay played a critical role in the UK response.

The integrated review is the deepest review of the UK’s foreign, defence, security and development policy since the end of the Cold War.

It will establish the strategic aims for our national security and foreign policy, determining the capabilities and structural reforms needed to meet those aims and how we will work with international partners and organisations to promote the UK’s interests around the world.

No decision has been made on the construction or operation of a UK hospital ship, and we will continue to ensure that UKaid is deployed in a way that maximises value for money for development and the UK taxpayer.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
5th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to use the foreign aid budget to procure a hospital ship.

DFID and the Ministry of Defence already work closely together to respond to humanitarian emergencies including using ships for relief efforts. For example, following Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas last September, RFA Mounts Bay played a critical role in the UK response.

As set out in the UK Humanitarian Reform Plan, the UK Government is committed ensuring a bigger, better, faster response capability which is able to respond to a range of different natural disasters.

No decision has been made on the construction or operation of a UK hospital ship, and we will continue to ensure that UKaid is deployed in a way that maximises value for money for development and the UK taxpayer.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
6th Dec 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government why autism is defined as a disability in some application forms for help from the Access to Work scheme and not in other cases.

To apply for Access to Work customers must complete an application either online or over the phone. The application is the same no matter how they complete it. Customers are asked to describe their condition in their own words and how it impacts their work. The application form does not list or ask about any specific conditions. This supports the principle that Access to Work is tailored to each customer’s disability and support need.

Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
6th Dec 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many employment support providers have received support from the Access to Work scheme in each of the past five years.

We do not routinely collect data on the funding provided directly to employment support providers. Access to Work funding is, in most cases, paid directly to the customer, unless the customer requests that the funding is paid directly to an employment support provider.

Access to work has recruited additional staff to ensure a high level of customer service. The digital payments portal was introduced in June 2023 and is available for all customers that choose to claim online.

Access to Work has received significant increase in payment claims over the last year and have recruited new staff to meet the increased demand and reduce the time it takes to make payments.

Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
6th Dec 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any delays, and the reasons for such delays, in paying funds to employment support providers who have successfully applied for help from the Access to Work scheme.

We do not routinely collect data on the funding provided directly to employment support providers. Access to Work funding is, in most cases, paid directly to the customer, unless the customer requests that the funding is paid directly to an employment support provider.

Access to work has recruited additional staff to ensure a high level of customer service. The digital payments portal was introduced in June 2023 and is available for all customers that choose to claim online.

Access to Work has received significant increase in payment claims over the last year and have recruited new staff to meet the increased demand and reduce the time it takes to make payments.

Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
6th Dec 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated average time span from application to payment for employment support providers seeking help from the Access to Work scheme.

We do not routinely collect data on the funding provided directly to employment support providers. Access to Work funding is, in most cases, paid directly to the customer, unless the customer requests that the funding is paid directly to an employment support provider.

Access to work has recruited additional staff to ensure a high level of customer service. The digital payments portal was introduced in June 2023 and is available for all customers that choose to claim online.

Access to Work has received significant increase in payment claims over the last year and have recruited new staff to meet the increased demand and reduce the time it takes to make payments.

Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
6th Dec 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the budget for the Access to Work scheme has been underspent, and if so, by how much, in each of the past five years.

Access to Work grant expenditure has been underspent against budget in three of the past five years.

£m

18/19

19/20

20/21

21/22

22/23

Budget (mid-year adjusted)

117.1

145.3

108.6

151.9

178.3

Full year outturn

124.5

146.8

104.5

146.5

177.3

(Over) / Underspend

(7.4)

(1.4)

4.1

5.5

1.0

Other than years impacted by the Pandemic, the grant expenditure has increased year on year.

Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
27th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with charities supporting disabled people about the operation of the Access to Work scheme.

DWP regularly attends Access to Work national stakeholder forums with charities and disabled people’s organisations from across England, Scotland and Wales to discuss Access to Work.

Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
27th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many disabled people have secured jobs through the Access to Work scheme.

The information requested about the number of disabled people who have secured jobs through Access to Work is not available. Access to Work does not provide support to find jobs. It is a grant that provides individuals with funding for support and adaptations beyond reasonable adjustments to retain employment. To receive Access to Work support, applicants must be employed, self-employed, about to start work, participating in a supported internship/traineeship, taking part in work experience/work trial, or require communication support at interview.

Information on how many individuals receive Access to Work support is in table 6 of the Access to Work Official Statistics.

The latest Access to Work statistics can be found here:

Access to Work statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
27th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many disabled people who have found work through the Access to Work scheme are in (1) full-time, and (2) part-time, employment.

The information requested on the number of people who have found work through the Access to Work scheme is not available. Access to Work does not provide support to find jobs. It is a grant that provides individuals with funding for support and adaptations beyond reasonable adjustments to retain employment. To receive Access to Work support, applicants must be employed, self-employed, about to start work, participating in a supported internship/traineeship, taking part in work experience/work trial, or require communication support at interview.​

Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
7th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government which sectors they have identified as providing particular opportunities to employ disabled people.

Disabled people work across all industries and sectors but are relatively more likely (42.6%), compared to non-disabled (35.4%) people, to work in the health, retail and education sectors1. Disabled workers are less likely to be working in the private sector than non-disabled workers and consequently more likely to be working in the public sector (26.5% of disabled workers in the public sector and 23.1% of non-disabled workers in the public sector).

Employers within the Disability Confident scheme provide employment opportunities, including for disabled people, across a wide range of industry sectors. When signing up to the scheme employers must commit to 5 actions and at least 1 activity that will make a positive difference to the employment of disabled people. The Disability Confident scheme supports employers to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to the workplace. It provides employers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace. DWP also works with sector facing Departments across Government to identify the particular barriers faced by jobseekers, including those with a disability, and consider what Government and industry can do together to remove these barriers, in order to help people into work at a time of record vacancies.

1 Source: Annual Population Survey 2020/21

7th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in reducing the disability employment gap, in the last 12 months.

The Government has two main goals with regards to disability employment; to see one million more disabled people in work between 2017 and 2027 and reduce the disability employment gap.

Since 2013, the earliest comparable year, up to the start of the pandemic the general trend in disability employment was positive. There was strong growth in the number and rate of disabled people in employment and a narrowing of the gap between the rate of disabled and non-disabled people in employment. The pandemic initially reversed these trends with year-on-year changes showing a fall in the disability employment rate and a widening of the disability employment gap during 2020. In 2021 however the rate and gap returned to near pre-pandemic levels.

The disability employment gap was 28.9 percentage points in Q4 2021, the latest available data. This is an overall decrease of 4.8 percentage points since the same quarter in 2013.

7th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many events have they held to meet and persuade employers to employ disabled people as part of their policy to close the disability employment gap, in each of the last three years.

Throughout these unprecedented times, the DWP Disability Confident (DC) Team has continued to work collaboratively with DC Leader organisations on a series of webinars (26 to date), covering topics, such as: Virtual Hiring, Recruitment and Retention, Mental Health in the Workplace and Workplace Adjustments.

The DC Team has delivered employer focused online events (11), entitled ‘A little less conversation, A little more action’ with DWP Work and Health Programme Providers and DC Leaders with the aim of encouraging employers to attract, recruit and retain disabled people.

The team has actively supported MPs to sign up to the scheme and has delivered employer focused events (8) in local constituencies to encourage sign-up to DC and have also co-facilitated a number of external events with other organisations, including national conferences to raise the profile of disability employment.

The DC Team has delivered an inaugural DC Awards ceremony (December 2021) in collaboration with the Business Disability Forum awarding employers from across the UK, who had actively encouraged the employment of disabled people.

Colleagues across Jobcentre Plus work on a daily basis with employers at both a national and local level and through these relationships secure support for our customers. This includes securing commitments to recruit disabled people and demonstrating this by joining the Disability Confident Scheme. This is done through both discussions with individual employers and also through local employer events

7th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government who is the responsible Minister for closing the disability employment gap; and how many staff are engaged in these efforts.

Chloe Smith MP is the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work. Her portfolio includes responsibility for supporting disabled people to get into and remain in work, to close the disability employment gap.

We do not hold details on the overall number of staff engaged across the broad range of initiatives that are contributing to closing the disability employment gap. Staff from across the DWP who are responsible for supporting disabled people into work include Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) and Disability Employment Adviser Leaders (DEALs), Work Coaches, and National Employer Partnership Team. From April 2021, DWP began increasing the number of DEAs to 1,000 and DEALs to 115 across Great Britain. By January 2022 DEA numbers had increased to almost 900, nearly double the number in place a year earlier; and over 100 DEA leaders.