Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 4.10 of the Autumn Budget 2024, for what reason the launch date of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement has been revised.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is committed to delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), expanding access to high quality, flexible education and training for adults throughout their working lives, helping businesses to fill skills gaps and kickstart economic growth.

The LLE will now launch in the 2026/27 academic year for learners studying courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, including full courses, modules and Higher Technical Qualifications.

This is in order to:

• Improve the impact and effectiveness of the LLE by ensuring that policy and design fully align with this government’s ambitious vision for the future of our skills landscape.
• Refine the department’s delivery and implementation plans through collaboration with Skills England to help support this government’s industrial strategy.
• Give education providers the necessary time to prepare for the launch of this new and transformational student-finance system.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of the costs of (a) VAT, (b) employers' National Insurance contributions, (c) employer contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme and (d) business rates for independent schools on the number of children educated in the (i) independent and (ii) state sectors.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government publishes Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) for tax policy changes when the policy is final or near final. TIINs give a clear explanation of the policy objective together with comprehensive assessment of the impacts on individuals and families, businesses and the wider economy, equalities impacts, and any other specific area of impact. TIINs look at the impacts of changes to the tax system separately for each measure.

A TIIN assessing the impacts of applying VAT to private school fees has been published online and can be found here: Private school fees — VAT measure - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Details of the changes to business rates charitable rate relief and changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) were outlined at Budget. Notes on the general impacts of these measures will be published in due course alongside the respective legislation when it is introduced to Parliament.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions on (a) cost pressures for independent schools and (b) the number of children leaving the independent school sector; and whether the figures included in HM Revenue & Customs policy paper entitled, Applying VAT to private school fees, published on 30 October 2024, took account of proposed increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government publishes Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) for tax policy changes when the policy is final or near final. TIINs give a clear explanation of the policy objective together with comprehensive assessment of the impacts on individuals and families, businesses and the wider economy, equalities impacts, and any other specific area of impact. TIINs look at the impacts of changes to the tax system separately for each measure.

A TIIN assessing the impacts of applying VAT to private school fees has been published online and can be found here: Private school fees — VAT measure - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Details of the changes to business rates charitable rate relief and changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) were outlined at Budget. Notes on the general impacts of these measures will be published in due course alongside the respective legislation when it is introduced to Parliament.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make a comparative estimate of the average cost of (a) VAT, (b) employers' National Insurance contributions, (c) contributions to the Teachers' Pensions Scheme and (d) business rates for independent schools that are (i) liable for business rates for the first time and (ii) already liable for business rates (A) before and (B) after the Autumn Budget 2024.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government publishes Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) for tax policy changes when the policy is final or near final. TIINs give a clear explanation of the policy objective together with comprehensive assessment of the impacts on individuals and families, businesses and the wider economy, equalities impacts, and any other specific area of impact. TIINs look at the impacts of changes to the tax system separately for each measure.

A TIIN assessing the impacts of applying VAT to private school fees has been published online and can be found here: Private school fees — VAT measure - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Details of the changes to business rates charitable rate relief and changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) were outlined at Budget. Notes on the general impacts of these measures will be published in due course alongside the respective legislation when it is introduced to Parliament.

Housing

Found: Rt Hon Edward Argar MP, Minister of State for Justice (from 27 October 2022)3 of 3 - - The Rt Hon Damian