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Written Question
Apprentices: Taxation
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the apprenticeship levy for (a) construction and (b) trade businesses.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The apprenticeship levy enables large employers to access up to 110% of their levy contributions for high-quality apprenticeships, which can equip them with the skills they need to develop and grow their workforce. It also enables the government to fund 95% of the cost of apprenticeships in small employers who do not pay the levy.

We are increasing apprenticeship funding in England to £2.7 billion by 2024/25, which will support even more people to access apprenticeships, and we have introduced flexi-job apprenticeships, making it easier for apprentices to complete their training across different projects.

We are working across government and in partnership with the construction industry, through the Construction Skills Delivery Group, to ensure apprenticeships meet the needs of employers in the sector. In 2021/22 there were over 26,000 apprenticeships starts in Construction, Planning and the Built Environment sector, an increase of 31% from 2020/21.

Employers have developed 97 standards in the Construction and the Built Environment sector including Level 2 bricklayer, Level 3 craft carpentry and joinery and the Level 6 chartered surveyor degree apprenticeships. A new version of the bricklayer standard also went live in August 2023, with funding increased by 40%, and we have increased funding for the scaffolder apprenticeship by over 20%.

We have made it easier for SMEs in construction to recruit the next generation of talent by removing the limit on the number of apprentices they can take on. We also meet 100% of the cost for the smallest employers (fewer than 50 staff) when they take on young apprentices and have simplified our levy transfer system so SMEs can more easily benefit from transferred funds.


Written Question
Apprentices: Pay
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) flexibility and (b) rates of pay of apprenticeship schemes.

Answered by Robert Halfon

Apprenticeships provide a fantastic opportunity for people to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to progress in their chosen careers, and we want to ensure that the programme is flexible so that apprenticeships are widely accessible to all.

To support flexibility, we enable those working full-time, part-time and flexible hours to undertake apprenticeships, and apprentices can take short or extended breaks (for example for parental leave) during their programme. For those working in sectors with short-term and project-based employment models, we have created flexi-job apprenticeships, and those with significant prior learning and experience can undertake an accelerated apprenticeship and achieve occupational competence more quickly. We also provide additional funding to support those apprentices who require reasonable adjustments to undertake learning.

The department is committed to ensuring that apprentice pay supports the attraction and retention of talented individuals into apprenticeships.

We recognise that apprentices may be experiencing financial pressures because of rises in the cost of living. In November 2022, the government accepted, in full, the Low Pay Commission’s recommendation to increase the Apprentice National Minimum Wage by 9.7% to £5.28 from April 2023. This increase will help to counter the impact of rises in the cost of living, and the department continues to provide financial support to encourage more apprenticeship opportunities for all people.

Many employers choose to pay their apprentices more than the national minimum wage rates, recognising the value that apprentices bring to their workplace. Data shows that average hourly pay for apprentices’ ranges between £8.23 for Level 2 and £14.02 for Level 6.

We continue to make £1,000 payments to employers and providers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and apprentices aged 19 to 24 that have an Education, Health and Care plan, which can be used to support costs such as wages, uniforms or travel. In addition, we increased our care leavers’ bursary from £1,000 to £3,000 in August 2023.


Written Question
Apprentices
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the uptake in apprenticeships since 2020.

Answered by Robert Halfon

Apprenticeships are crucial in driving growth and social mobility. They boost businesses skills and improve people’s earnings and progression opportunities. Since the 2019/20 academic year there have been 1.33 million (provisional) apprenticeship starts across England, and we want to see this number grow.

We are increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024/25, encouraging more employers across the country to recruit new apprentices. We have created flexible training models, such as flexi-job and accelerated apprenticeships, to make apprenticeships more accessible for employers, and improved the transfer system so that levy-payers can make better use of their funds. We are also making it easier for employers to hire apprentices, and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education will review the content of 100 apprenticeship standards in sectors like construction and healthcare by the end of December 2023, so they reflect the latest technological developments.

To support more people to access degree apprenticeships, we are allocating an additional £40 million over the next two years, supporting degree apprenticeship providers to expand, and helping more people to access this provision, on top of the £8 million investment in 2022/23.

We continue to promote apprenticeships to young people in schools and further education colleges across the country through our Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme, and UCAS will be expanding its service to allowing students to search for and apply to apprenticeships alongside degrees.


Written Question
Apprentices
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of career opportunities for young people on apprenticeship schemes.

Answered by Robert Halfon

Apprenticeships provide a fantastic opportunity for people to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to progress in their chosen careers. Our employer-designed apprenticeship standards ensure that apprentices are gaining relevant industry experience in 680 different occupations.

We know apprenticeships continue to work for individuals up and down the country, with the latest data showing that 92% of apprentices go into work or further training, with 90% in sustained employment. Many apprentices remain with their employer following their apprenticeship.

Earnings for those undertaking higher apprenticeships compare well to the earnings of first-degree graduates five years on. Data shows that the median first-degree graduate earnings, five years after graduation were £28,200 compared to £30,900 for level 4 apprentices and £28,310 for level 5+ apprentices.

We want to see more young people benefitting from apprenticeships. We are increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year and continue to pay £1,000 to employers and providers when they hire young apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an Education, Health and Care plan or have been in care. From 2024, young people will also be able to apply for apprenticeships through UCAS alongside an undergraduate degree application, and we are allocating an additional £40 million over the next two years to support the expansion of degree apprenticeships which offer high-quality higher education alternatives for school leavers.


Written Question
Schools: Erith and Thamesmead
Monday 18th September 2023

Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has (a) contacted every school in Erith and Thamesmead constituency that may be affected by the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), (b) assigned a caseworker to each affected school and (c) informed the relevant local authority of their (i) findings and (ii) actions.

Answered by Nick Gibb

Nothing is more important than the safety of children and staff. It has always been the case that where we are made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, the Department takes immediate action.

It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day-to-day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building.

The Department has acted decisively and proactively to tackle this issue. This Government has taken more proactive action on RAAC than any other in the UK. The Department issued comprehensive guidance in 2018, and subsequent years, to all responsible bodies highlighting the potential risks associated with RAAC and supporting them to identify this within their buildings, as well as to take appropriate steps in meeting their obligations to keep buildings safe. The most recent guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-estates-guidance.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England, and the vast majority are unaffected. A significant proportion of the estate was built outside the period where RAAC was used, with around one third of the estate built since 2001, therefore, the Department has focused efforts on buildings built in the post-war decades.

The Department issued a questionnaire in March 2022, asking responsible bodies to inform the Department of any suspected RAAC identified in their estates. Responsible bodies have submitted questionnaires for over 98% of schools with blocks built in the target era, of which there are 14,900. We are pressing all remaining schools to get checks completed, to determine which schools require surveys.

The Department is contacting responsible bodies to help them respond to this request and to advise on what needs to be done, so that they can establish whether they believe they have RAAC. This work will continue until we have a response for all target era schools.

Schools and colleges where RAAC is suspected are being fast tracked for surveying, which is used to confirm whether RAAC is actually present. All schools and colleges that have already told us they suspect they might have RAAC will be surveyed within a matter of weeks, in many cases in a matter of days.

All schools where RAAC is confirmed are provided with a dedicated caseworker to support them and help implement a mitigation plan and minimise the disruption to children’s learning.

Across Government, Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. The Department for Education published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.

Schools will contact parents where RAAC is identified and inform them of any impacts on their child. The vast majority of schools are unaffected. Any parents that are unsure if their child’s school is affected should contact their school directly.

While some short term disruption is inevitable, all available measures will be taken to minimise disruption to pupil learning and ensure that pupils continue to receive face-to-face teaching. Where there is any disturbance to face-to-face education, schools will prioritise attendance for vulnerable children and young people and children of key workers. The guidance published by the Department in August also includes guidance on provision for pupils with SEND and sets out expectations that schools continue to provide free school meals to eligible pupils.

The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the department will provide that support for all reasonable requests. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term.

All previously confirmed Schol Rebuilding Programme projects announced in 2021 and 2022 will continue to go ahead. A full list of confirmed projects can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.

Further information on RAAC in education settings is available on the Education Hub: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/06/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/.


Written Question
Sign Language: Education
Monday 17th July 2023

Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to help parents of deaf children to be able to learn sign language; and if her Department is coordinating work with local authorities on this issue.

Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

The government understands the great importance of British Sign Language (BSL) for bridging barriers to communication between hearing and deaf people. The department appreciates the vital need for families with deaf children to be able to access BSL courses, as early access to language is essential to help children learn and thrive.

Funding is available through the adult education budget (AEB) for qualifications in or focussing on BSL up to and including level 2. These qualifications include, for example, the Level 1 Award in BSL, which allows learners to communicate in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use, thereby giving them the basic skills and confidence in production and reception of BSL. It will depend on an individual’s circumstances as to whether they are entitled to free provision or expected to meet part of the cost, through co-funding.

For some BSL courses, advanced learner loans (ALLs) are available, and parents can find more information about which qualifications are eligible at: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search. More general information about the provision of ALLs is available at: https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan.

For parents learning BSL on an AEB-funded course, there is also additional support available. The AEB provides funding to colleges and providers to help adult learners overcome barriers preventing them from accessing learning. Providers have discretion to help learners meet costs such as transport, accommodation, books, equipment, and childcare. Learning support funding also helps colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the costs of reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010.

About 60% of the AEB has been devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Mayor of London, acting where appropriate through the Greater London Authority. These authorities determine which provision to fund for learners who live in their areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas. It is up to providers to decide what provision they offer. Where community learning providers offer BSL courses, those providers are responsible for determining the course fees, including levels of fee remission.


Written Question
Sign Language: Adult Education
Monday 17th July 2023

Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many parents of deaf children participated in British sign language courses that were funded through the adult education budget in Greenwich and Bexley in each of the last three years.

Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

About 60% of the adult education budget (AEB) has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, which includes Greenwich and Bexley. Devolved areas decide how to make best use of AEB provision to meet learner needs of their areas and decide which providers to contract with to deliver AEB-funded learning.

According to data held by the department on the Individualised Learner Record, there were 10 adult (19+) education and training learning aim enrolments in the 2021/22 academic year by learners living in the London Borough of Bexley or the London Borough of Greenwich with ‘British Sign Language’ or ‘BSL’ in their aim title. In 2020/21, there were 10 enrolments and in 2019/20 there were 20. The department does not hold information as to whether the learners taking these aims have deaf children. Further clarity on use of the AEB in London may be provided by the Greater London Authority.

These figures do not correspond to learners, as learners may enrol on multiple aims. Additionally, these are funded adult (19+) education and training aim enrolments, so they will include AEB-funded learning, as well as other funding provision, such as advanced learner loans.


Written Question
Teachers: Hearing Impairment
Thursday 16th March 2023

Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) stop the long-term decline in the number of deaf teachers and (b) increase the ratio of deaf children to teachers in (i) Erith and Thamesmead constituency and (ii) the rest of the UK..

Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

On 2 March 2023, the department published the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan in response to the Green Paper published in March last year. The Plan outlines the government’s mission for the SEND and AP system to fulfil children’s potential, including those with sensory impairment.

As stated in the Improvement Plan, the department has developed a new approval process to determine providers of Mandatory Qualifications in Sensory Impairment (MQSI) from the start of the 2023/24 academic year. This is to support the supply of teachers with an MQSI.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) is also developing an apprenticeship for teachers of sensory impairment. IfATE is working with universities, local authorities, and sector representatives, including the National Deaf Children’s Society, the Royal National Institute of Blind People, and the British Association of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People to develop the qualification and expects it to be available from 2025.

The department is exploring further options to maximise take up of MQSIs with a view to improving the supply of teachers for children with sensory impairments.


Written Question
Carers: Cost of Living
Monday 9th January 2023

Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of Government support for kinship families for (a) household bills and (b) other areas.

Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

The department recognises the important role that kinship carers play in looking after children through kinship arrangements, and are aware that many kinship carers make great sacrifices to fulfil this role.

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care made a set of bold and ambitious recommendations which seek to improve the financial and practical support kinship carers receive, and the department is due to respond to those recommendations early in early 2023.

Statutory guidance issued to local authorities already makes it clear that children and young people should receive the sufficient support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial support, that local authorities can provide. All local authorities should have in place clear eligibility criteria in relation to the provision of support services.


Written Question
Department for Education: Pay
Monday 25th July 2022

Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Living Wage Foundation's real wage calculator, if he will make estimate of how many (a) direct employees, (b) contractors and (c) agency workers who work in his Department and relevant agencies and public bodies receive a wage below that of either (i) the UK Real Living Wage outside of Greater London or (ii) the London Living Wage inside of Greater London.

Answered by Will Quince

The table below shows the department’s estimate, including its agencies and arm’s length bodies, of the number of direct employees, contractors and agency workers who receive a wage below either the UK Real Living Wage or the London Living Wage.

Table 1: Estimate of the number of people paid below the UK Real Living Wage or the London Living Wage.

Based outside of Greater London and receive a wage below the UK Real Living Wage

Based inside Greater London and receive a wage below the London Living Wage

Direct employees

Less than 1,500 employees

Less than 5 employees

Contractors

0

0

Agency workers

0

0