Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to extend the two year deadline for spending the Apprenticeship Levy Fund for businesses if there have been delays in funding agreements by the Institute of Apprenticeships.
Answered by Anne Milton
Levy paying employers are able to spend their levy funds on both apprenticeship frameworks and standards. There are over 200 apprenticeship standards which have been approved for delivery in addition to the 136 frameworks which are still available for delivery, offering a wide range of apprenticeships to suit business’ needs.
Apprenticeships funding expires from an employer’s account after 24 months if it has not been utilised. The government will distribute unused funding to committed employers, who can use this to fund further apprenticeship training.
The Institute of Apprenticeships is an independent body and carefully examine all funding recommendations, to ensure value for money in the apprenticeships system.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship programmes are waiting for funding bands decisions by the Institute of Apprenticeships.
Answered by Anne Milton
The Institute for Apprenticeships is an independent body with responsibility for the development and approval of apprenticeship standards, and for deciding funding band recommendations for those standards. I have therefore asked the Institute to write to the hon. Member for Southend West directly and respond to the question regarding the number of apprenticeship programmes that are awaiting funding band decisions.
A copy of that response will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses when it is available.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average funding band is for an apprenticeship programme at (a) L1, (b) L2, (c) L3, (d)L4, and (e)L5.
Answered by Anne Milton
Information on the funding band on apprenticeship standards and frameworks by level can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-funding-bands.
Apprenticeships are allocated to funding bands based on the costs of delivering training and assessment. There are a wide range of factors that influence the funding band, including the length of the apprenticeship and whether it is an apprenticeship framework or standard. The Institute for Apprenticeships has been responsible for advising the department on the allocation of funding bands since April 2017.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to publish further details on how companies can transfer 10 per cent of their levy funds to another organisation.
Answered by Anne Milton
From April 2018, the government plans to allow levy-paying employers to transfer up to 10% of the annual value of their funds to another employer through the apprenticeship service. We aim to start communicating with employers about transferring forms this month. We will publish further information shortly so employers are prepared in time for April.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the removal of the 50 per cent cap on faith-based admissions on the ability of the Catholic Church to open new schools.
Answered by Anne Milton
The 'Schools that work for everyone' consultation document recognised that some faiths, including the Catholic Church, have felt unable to open new schools, subject to the 50% cap, through the free school’s route because they say it contravenes religious rules. The Department is considering carefully the results of the consultation and the proposal to remove the 50% cap on faith admissions in faith free schools. We plan to respond on this issue in due course. We value greatly the important role Catholic schools play in our education system and that will continue.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish the Government's response to its consultation entitled Schools that work for everyone; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
We have outlined in Parliament our position on the various proposals in the 'Schools that work for everyone' consultation, and will announce further details in due course.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the ability of the Catholic Church to offer all Catholic pupils a school place if the 50 per cent cap on faith-based admissions is maintained.
Answered by Anne Milton
The 'Schools that work for everyone' consultation document recognised that some faiths, including the Catholic Church, have felt unable to open new schools, subject to the 50% cap, through the free school’s route because they say it contravenes religious rules. The Department is considering carefully the results of the consultation and the proposal to remove the 50% cap on faith admissions in faith free schools. We plan to respond on this issue in due course. We value greatly the important role Catholic schools play in our education system and that will continue.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make it her policy to support the provision of birth registration in children's centres and family hubs.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Engaging disadvantaged families early is important. It is, however, for local councils to establish how best to do this. Making children’s centres or family hubs one of the places where parents can register the birth of their child is one approach, and local councils are free to do this. It may not be the best solution everywhere however, and we agree with the conclusions of the 2013 Education Select Committee that this is not something that central government should dictate.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of 16 to 18 year olds who take up apprenticeships.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Our ‘Get In Go Far’ campaign is encouraging more young people to apply and more employers to offer opportunities.
We are increasing traineeships numbers to further support young people into apprenticeships and other work.
Under new funding policy, there will be extra payments for 16-18 year olds and 19-24 year old care leavers or with an Education, Health and Care Plan. Employers and providers receive £1,000 each to support additional costs associated with these apprentices.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to ensure that new investment in the Primary PE and Sport Premium directly benefits (a) the least active children and (b) children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds.
Answered by Edward Timpson
We want all pupils to be healthy and active. We have ring-fenced over £450 million to improve PE and sport in primary schools (2013/14 - 2015/16), and committed to doubling the primary PE and sport premium to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy. Schools have the freedom to decide how to use the funding based on the needs of their pupils, and can choose to target funding on the least active and children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds. Schools are accountable for their spending through Ofsted inspections and are required to report plans and impact online.
We have evaluated the impact and schools’ use of the premium through the independent research company, NatCen. Evidence indicates the funding is having a positive impact and schools reported almost universally that the PE and sport premium had had a positive impact on physical fitness (99%), healthy lifestyles (99%), skills (98%) and behaviour of pupils (96%).[1].
We are currently exploring options for future evaluation once the premium is doubled. Further details will be announced in due course.
[1] Evidence from the 2015 report, based on findings of a two year study between 2013 – 2015: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pe-and-sport-premium-an-investigation-in-primary-schools