Baroness Wolf of Dulwich Portrait

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich

Crossbench - Life peer

Became Member: 2nd December 2014


Baroness Wolf of Dulwich is not a member of any APPGs
2 Former APPG memberships
Apprenticeships, Skills and Employment
Baroness Wolf of Dulwich has no previous appointments


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Baroness Wolf of Dulwich has voted in 1 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
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Debates during the 2024 Parliament

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

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Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Baroness Wolf of Dulwich, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


Baroness Wolf of Dulwich has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 20 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
10th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people were enrolled on courses funded under the 'Free courses for jobs' scheme in 2022–23; and how many of them were earning more than £25,000.

In the academic year 2022/23 there were 24,740 enrolments on the free courses for jobs programme.

The department does not collect salary data on individual learners and are unable to answer how many of these learners were earning more than £25,000.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the effect of restricting eligibility to the 'Free courses for jobs' to those earning under £25,000 on the number of courses offered which deliver qualifications covered by the initiative.

In the academic year 2022/23 there were 24,740 enrolments on the free courses for jobs programme.

The department does not collect salary data on individual learners and are unable to answer how many of these learners were earning more than £25,000.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the adult education budget was, or has been, allocated to Combined Mayoral Authorities in (1) 2023–24, (2) 2024–25, and (3) 2025–26, under devolution agreements.

The adult skills fund (ASF), formerly the adult education budget (AEB), is worth £1.34 billion this year, and funds education and skills training for those aged 19 and above to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. The AEB transitioned into the ASF as of this academic year 2024/25.

The proportion of the AEB that was allocated to Mayoral Combined Authorities in the 2023/24 academic year was 58.96%. In the 2024/25 academic year this was 62.00%. Decisions about the 2025/26 academic year are subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
7th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government how many private sector organisations operating as independent training providers supplied publicly funded training to apprentices in the financial years (1) 2018–19, (2) 2019–20, (3) 2020–21, (4) 2021–22, and (5) 2022–23; and of those, how many (a) supplied such training in 2018–19 but not 2022–23, and (b) supplied training in every one of those years.

The number of providers in the 'Private Sector Publicly Funded’ provider type with participating apprentices between the 2018/19 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the table below. A category that corresponds to 'Independent Training Providers' is not available

Academic Year

Number of providers

2018/19

1021

2019/20

1073

2020/21

1112

2021/22

1053

2022/23

1030

Of the 1021 providers in the 2018/19 academic year, 373 did not have any participating learners in 2022/23, whilst 642 providers had participating learners in each of the years shown.

Please note:
(1) Data source is the Individualised Learner Record.

(2) Figures are derived from the ‘Underlying data - apprenticeship participation’ supporting file that accompanies the Apprenticeships statistics publication, found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships.

(3) Providers have at least one funded apprenticeship in the academic year shown.

(4) Providers are identified based on unique UK Provider Reference Number (UKPRN) number. Providers that have merged and changed UKPRN will not be matched as the same provider between different academic years.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
10th Sep 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of apprenticeship starts in the financial year 2022–2023 undertook their training in (1) independent training providers, (2) general further education colleges, and (3) other providers.

Apprenticeship starts by provider type and funding type for the 2022/23 academic year are shown in the following tables.

Funding type

Provider type

Starts in Academic Year 2022/23

Starts percentage in Academic Year 2022/23

Supported by
Apprenticeship
Service Account
(ASA)
levy funds

General Further Education (FE) College including Tertiary

28,490

12.4%

Other Public Funded, such as Local Authorities and
Higher Education(HE)

50,320

21.9%

Private Sector Public Funded

149,510

65.1%

Schools

180

0.1%

Sixth Form College

130

0.1%

Special College

1090

0.5%

Total

229,720

100.0%


Funding type

Provider type

Starts in Academic Year 2022/23

Starts percentage in Academic Year 2022/23

Other
(not supported
by ASA levy
funds)

General FE College including Tertiary

30,210

28.1%

Other Public Funded, such as Local Authorities and HE

4510

4.2%

Private Sector Public Funded

71,310

66.4%

Schools

20

<0.05%

Sixth Form College

210

0.2%

Special College

1160

1.1%

Total

107,410

100.0%

Funding type

Provider type

Starts in Academic Year 2022/23

Starts percentage in Academic Year 2022/23

Total

General FE College including Tertiary

58,700

17.4%

Other Public Funded, such as Local Authorities and HE

54,830

16.3%

Private Sector Public Funded

220,820

65.5%

Schools

200

0.1%

Sixth Form College

340

0.1%

Special College

2250

0.7%

Total

337,140

100.0%

Note:

(1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.

(2) Total starts are the count of apprenticeships started at any point during the stated academic period. Learners starting more than one apprenticeship will appear more than once.

These figures are published in the ‘apprenticeships statistics’ publication, which can accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
9th Sep 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the Department for Education's 2022–23 apprenticeship spend applied to new starts; and what proportion to ongoing costs for apprentices already in training, both (1) overall, and for (2) levy-payers and non-levy-payers separately.

The English apprenticeships budget for the 2022/23 financial year was £2,554 million. The total spend was £2,458 million meaning that 96% of the English apprenticeships budget was spent in the 2022/23 financial year.

In the 2022/23 financial year, 69% of the overall apprenticeships spend was spent on apprenticeships for levy paying employers and 29% was spent on apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers. This includes the spend on COVID-19 incentive payments made to employers recruiting new apprentices between August 2020 and January 2022. The remaining 2% was spent on the costs of running the apprenticeships programme.

31% of the department’s apprenticeships spend for the 2022/23 financial year supported new apprenticeship starts and 62% was spent on the ongoing costs of apprentices that had started in previous years.

22% of the department’s apprenticeships spend for the 2022/23 financial year supported new starts in levy paying employers and 43% was spent on the ongoing costs of apprenticeships in levy paying employers that had started in previous years.

9% of the department’s apprenticeships spend for the 2022/23 financial year supported new starts in non-levy paying employers and 18% was spent on the ongoing costs of apprenticeships in non-levy paying employers that had started in previous years.

Details of annual apprenticeships spend for the 2023/24 financial year is set out in the department’s annual report and accounts, which was published in July 2024 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
9th Sep 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the Department for Education's 2022–23 apprenticeship spend applied to (1) levy-payers, and (2) non levy-payers.

The English apprenticeships budget for the 2022/23 financial year was £2,554 million. The total spend was £2,458 million meaning that 96% of the English apprenticeships budget was spent in the 2022/23 financial year.

In the 2022/23 financial year, 69% of the overall apprenticeships spend was spent on apprenticeships for levy paying employers and 29% was spent on apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers. This includes the spend on COVID-19 incentive payments made to employers recruiting new apprentices between August 2020 and January 2022. The remaining 2% was spent on the costs of running the apprenticeships programme.

31% of the department’s apprenticeships spend for the 2022/23 financial year supported new apprenticeship starts and 62% was spent on the ongoing costs of apprentices that had started in previous years.

22% of the department’s apprenticeships spend for the 2022/23 financial year supported new starts in levy paying employers and 43% was spent on the ongoing costs of apprenticeships in levy paying employers that had started in previous years.

9% of the department’s apprenticeships spend for the 2022/23 financial year supported new starts in non-levy paying employers and 18% was spent on the ongoing costs of apprenticeships in non-levy paying employers that had started in previous years.

Details of annual apprenticeships spend for the 2023/24 financial year is set out in the department’s annual report and accounts, which was published in July 2024 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
9th Sep 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what apprenticeship budget was set for the Department for Education in the 2022–23 financial year; and what proportion of that was spent.

The English apprenticeships budget for the 2022/23 financial year was £2,554 million. The total spend was £2,458 million meaning that 96% of the English apprenticeships budget was spent in the 2022/23 financial year.

In the 2022/23 financial year, 69% of the overall apprenticeships spend was spent on apprenticeships for levy paying employers and 29% was spent on apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers. This includes the spend on COVID-19 incentive payments made to employers recruiting new apprentices between August 2020 and January 2022. The remaining 2% was spent on the costs of running the apprenticeships programme.

31% of the department’s apprenticeships spend for the 2022/23 financial year supported new apprenticeship starts and 62% was spent on the ongoing costs of apprentices that had started in previous years.

22% of the department’s apprenticeships spend for the 2022/23 financial year supported new starts in levy paying employers and 43% was spent on the ongoing costs of apprenticeships in levy paying employers that had started in previous years.

9% of the department’s apprenticeships spend for the 2022/23 financial year supported new starts in non-levy paying employers and 18% was spent on the ongoing costs of apprenticeships in non-levy paying employers that had started in previous years.

Details of annual apprenticeships spend for the 2023/24 financial year is set out in the department’s annual report and accounts, which was published in July 2024 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
30th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to date to ensure that the work of the Unit for Future Skills within the Department for Education directly influences the content of skills training in publicly funded education and training provision.

The Unit for Future Skills (UFS) has now become part of the shadow body for Skills England. The purpose of the UFS was to provide key insights and data on current and future skills needs, as well as assessments on how current provision is meeting labour demand.

As well as producing and updating its online dashboards, the UFS has focused on a broad range of other activity. For example, the UFS provided robust data and insight on local skills use and provision, allowing current and future skills mismatches to be identified at an individual and local level. The UFS has:

  • Ensured that Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) are based on solid evidence of local skills mismatches and future needs and are aligned with the government’s economic priorities.
  • Published a Local Skills Dashboard, showing statistics on local employment and skills including at local authority level, LSIP area and mayoral combined authority (MCA). This reached over 14,000 users since its launch in August 2022, averaging 400 to 600 users per month.
  • Trialled the use of AI techniques to extract insights from across the 38 LSIP reports, with 75% of the reports referencing the UFS and the department's data.

The UFS worked across government and with wider organisations to improve the foundation of data and the evidence base for decision-makers. Key achievements included:

The UFS has also delivered Phase 1 of the UK Standard Skills Classification, which is a common skills framework that will allow a better understanding of skills supply and career pathways.

The total cost recorded on the finance system for the 2022/23 financial year was £1.86 million.

The main cost within the UFS was its staff. In the 2022/23 financial year, there were about 20 staff members, the majority being analysts. The team also commissioned external work by researchers and data experts to support the aims of the unit.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
30th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government in which activities the Unit for Future Skills within the Department for Education engages other than, and in addition to, producing and updating their online dashboards.

The Unit for Future Skills (UFS) has now become part of the shadow body for Skills England. The purpose of the UFS was to provide key insights and data on current and future skills needs, as well as assessments on how current provision is meeting labour demand.

As well as producing and updating its online dashboards, the UFS has focused on a broad range of other activity. For example, the UFS provided robust data and insight on local skills use and provision, allowing current and future skills mismatches to be identified at an individual and local level. The UFS has:

  • Ensured that Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) are based on solid evidence of local skills mismatches and future needs and are aligned with the government’s economic priorities.
  • Published a Local Skills Dashboard, showing statistics on local employment and skills including at local authority level, LSIP area and mayoral combined authority (MCA). This reached over 14,000 users since its launch in August 2022, averaging 400 to 600 users per month.
  • Trialled the use of AI techniques to extract insights from across the 38 LSIP reports, with 75% of the reports referencing the UFS and the department's data.

The UFS worked across government and with wider organisations to improve the foundation of data and the evidence base for decision-makers. Key achievements included:

The UFS has also delivered Phase 1 of the UK Standard Skills Classification, which is a common skills framework that will allow a better understanding of skills supply and career pathways.

The total cost recorded on the finance system for the 2022/23 financial year was £1.86 million.

The main cost within the UFS was its staff. In the 2022/23 financial year, there were about 20 staff members, the majority being analysts. The team also commissioned external work by researchers and data experts to support the aims of the unit.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
30th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the cost of the Unit for Future Skills within the Department for Education in the financial year 2022–23.

The Unit for Future Skills (UFS) has now become part of the shadow body for Skills England. The purpose of the UFS was to provide key insights and data on current and future skills needs, as well as assessments on how current provision is meeting labour demand.

As well as producing and updating its online dashboards, the UFS has focused on a broad range of other activity. For example, the UFS provided robust data and insight on local skills use and provision, allowing current and future skills mismatches to be identified at an individual and local level. The UFS has:

  • Ensured that Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) are based on solid evidence of local skills mismatches and future needs and are aligned with the government’s economic priorities.
  • Published a Local Skills Dashboard, showing statistics on local employment and skills including at local authority level, LSIP area and mayoral combined authority (MCA). This reached over 14,000 users since its launch in August 2022, averaging 400 to 600 users per month.
  • Trialled the use of AI techniques to extract insights from across the 38 LSIP reports, with 75% of the reports referencing the UFS and the department's data.

The UFS worked across government and with wider organisations to improve the foundation of data and the evidence base for decision-makers. Key achievements included:

The UFS has also delivered Phase 1 of the UK Standard Skills Classification, which is a common skills framework that will allow a better understanding of skills supply and career pathways.

The total cost recorded on the finance system for the 2022/23 financial year was £1.86 million.

The main cost within the UFS was its staff. In the 2022/23 financial year, there were about 20 staff members, the majority being analysts. The team also commissioned external work by researchers and data experts to support the aims of the unit.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
29th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the level of staff turnover for (1) teaching, and (2) non-teaching, staff in (a) 2021–22, and (b)2022–23, for (i) state-funded primary schools, (ii) state-funded secondary schools, including academies, (iii) sixth-form colleges, and (iv) further education colleges.

Information on the numbers and rates of qualified teachers entering and leaving state-funded schools in England is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

In state-funded schools in England, between November 2022 and November 2023, the latest two years of data available, the rate of qualified teachers entering service was 9.1% in nursery and primary schools and 10.0% in secondary schools. This is published as 2023/24 entrants here alongside figures for the previous year, and is attached in the table titled ‘HL472_Qualified entrants to teaching_2022-23 and 2023-24’. The data is also available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/518037fe-b4d2-4fd6-baa3-08dcafcfd634.

The equivalent rate of qualified teachers leaving state-funded schools between November 2022 and November 2023, the latest two years of data available, was 9.5% in nursery and primary schools and 9.5% in secondary schools. This is published as 2022/23 leavers here alongside figures for the previous year, and is attached in the table titled ‘HL472_Qualified leavers from teaching_2021-22 and 2022-23'. The data is also available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/27af8b92-fa97-4081-baa4-08dcafcfd634.

Turnover figures for non-teaching staff in schools are not centrally calculated and would incur disproportionate cost to compile.

Staff turnover figures for both teaching and non-teaching staff in sixth-form colleges and further education colleges are not centrally collected.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
18th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have achieved a Higher Technical Qualification to date.

To date, 172 qualifications have been approved as Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) across seven occupational routes: Digital, Construction & the Built Environment, Health & Science, Business & Administration, Education & Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing, and Legal, Finance & Accounting, for first teaching between September 2022 and September 2024, depending on the route. The list of approved qualifications can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/qualifications/higher-technical-qualifications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications-cycle-one/.

Data covering participation and completion rates for HTQs in the 2022/23 academic year is not currently available.

From the 2023/24 academic year, HTQ data will be incorporated in the Higher Level Learners dataset, which the department expects to be published in 2025.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
18th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government how many 17–18 year-olds, and what proportion of the year 13 cohort in England, took (1) one A Level, and (2) two or more A Levels, in (a) 1995, (b) 2010, (c) 2020, and (d) 2023.

The information requested is published as part of the accredited official statistics release, entitled 'Participation in education, training and employment age 16 to 18'.


The following table shows the requested information, which can also be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/cd189ef0-7259-49ba-68b6-08dca70c1109.

End of calendar year

Number of 17 year olds participating in education with A/AS levels as highest qualification aim

Proportion of 17 year old population participating in education with A/AS levels as highest qualification aim

1995

238,500

43.8%

2010

283,300

42.8%

2020

277,400

44.2%

2022

300,100

45.5%

2023

Published in September 2024 (provisional)

The figures provided are estimates relating to a snapshot of activities at the end of the calendar year. They are based on academic age 17, defined as ‘age at the start of the academic year’, which is age as at 31 August, and show the highest qualification aim. This data cannot be disaggregated in order to provide the number of A Levels taken. Data for 2023 will be available in September 2024. 2022 data has been included, as this is the latest published period available.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
18th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Higher Technical Qualifications have now, in total, been approved for teaching.

To date, 172 qualifications have been approved as Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) across seven occupational routes: Digital, Construction & the Built Environment, Health & Science, Business & Administration, Education & Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing, and Legal, Finance & Accounting, for first teaching between September 2022 and September 2024, depending on the route. The list of approved qualifications can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/qualifications/higher-technical-qualifications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications-cycle-one/.

Data covering participation and completion rates for HTQs in the 2022/23 academic year is not currently available.

From the 2023/24 academic year, HTQ data will be incorporated in the Higher Level Learners dataset, which the department expects to be published in 2025.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
18th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government how many students were registered for Higher Technical Qualifications in the 2022–23 academic year.

To date, 172 qualifications have been approved as Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) across seven occupational routes: Digital, Construction & the Built Environment, Health & Science, Business & Administration, Education & Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing, and Legal, Finance & Accounting, for first teaching between September 2022 and September 2024, depending on the route. The list of approved qualifications can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/qualifications/higher-technical-qualifications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications-cycle-one/.

Data covering participation and completion rates for HTQs in the 2022/23 academic year is not currently available.

From the 2023/24 academic year, HTQ data will be incorporated in the Higher Level Learners dataset, which the department expects to be published in 2025.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
18th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people completed a Higher Technical Qualification successfully in the 2022–23 academic year.

To date, 172 qualifications have been approved as Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) across seven occupational routes: Digital, Construction & the Built Environment, Health & Science, Business & Administration, Education & Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing, and Legal, Finance & Accounting, for first teaching between September 2022 and September 2024, depending on the route. The list of approved qualifications can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/qualifications/higher-technical-qualifications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications-cycle-one/.

Data covering participation and completion rates for HTQs in the 2022/23 academic year is not currently available.

From the 2023/24 academic year, HTQ data will be incorporated in the Higher Level Learners dataset, which the department expects to be published in 2025.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
17th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government how many organisations were liable to pay the apprenticeship levy in (1) 2019–2020 and (2) 2022–2023.

In 2019-20, 30,600 employers paid the apprenticeship levy, and in 2022-23, 34,200 employers paid the apprenticeship levy.

Lord Livermore
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Sep 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what the total levy for the apprenticeship budget was in the 2022–23 financial year; and how much of this was allocated to the devolved governments using the Barnett formula.

The Apprenticeship Levy (AL) is currently paid by large employers, charged at a rate of 0.5% on an employer’s annual pay bill of over £3 million. HMT then sets the Apprenticeship Budget at each Spending Review, which funds all apprenticeship training in England – both existing and new apprenticeships – across all employers. In FY22-23, £2,554 million was allocated to the Apprenticeship Budget in England.

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

Lord Livermore
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)