Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2023 to Question 190584 on Apprentices: Taxation, how many students were studying at Level (a) 3 and (b) 4 and above in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The data showing apprenticeship participation for the last five academic years is shown in the table below.
| 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Advanced apprenticeship (level 3) | 372,430 | 356,150 | 338,680 | 326,380 | 330,410 |
Higher apprenticeship (level 4 and above) | 84,240 | 123,950 | 165,510 | 207,860 | 238,820 |
Notes:
(1) 2017/18 to 2021/22 figures cover full academic years volumes.
(2) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.
(3) Participation is the count of learners that participated at any point during the year. Learners undertaking more than one course will appear only once in the grand total.
(4) Participation at intermediate, advanced, and higher levels is a count of learners that participated at those levels at any point during the year. Learners undertaking more than one course will only appear once at each level but can appear in the count at more than one level.
Further apprenticeship statistics can be found in the ‘Apprenticeships and traineeships statistics’ publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the proportion of the Apprenticeship Levy that has been spent on people studying at (a) Level 3 and (b) level 4 and above in each of the last 5 years.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The apprenticeship levy is an important part of the government’s reforms to create a high-quality, employer-led apprenticeships system, and it supports employers of all sizes to invest in high-quality apprenticeship training. Employers have developed over 670 apprenticeship standards, including 220 at level 3 and 315 at levels 4 and above, to build the skilled workforces they need.
There have been over 5.4 million apprenticeship starts in England since 2010.
The apprenticeships budget in England is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers, and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers and providers. The department is increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year, and it is encouraging to see that in the 2021/22 financial year, 99.6% of the budget was spent.
The table below shows the total apprenticeships participation spend in England at level 3 and above from the 2017/18 academic year. This is the total spend for apprenticeships by both levy-paying and non-levy paying employers and includes apprenticeships started in previous years.
Apprenticeships participation spend (£ million) | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 | Level 7 |
2017/18 | 622 | 746 | 68 | 55 | 33 | 11 |
2018/19 | 557 | 838 | 120 | 100 | 78 | 57 |
2019/20 | 473 | 885 | 163 | 132 | 133 | 118 |
2020/21 | 378 | 848 | 192 | 156 | 203 | 186 |
2021/22 | 421 | 953 | 222 | 160 | 290 | 216 |
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the real-terms change to funding for Further Education Colleges has been in each year since 2010.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department does not hold this information, as it does not record or calculate the real terms changes to funding as requested.
There will be an extra £1.6 billion in 16-19 education by the 2024/25 financial year compared with 2021/22.
We are making a capital investment in skills over this Spending Review period of over £2.8 billion, to improve the condition of post-16 estate, provide new places in post-16 education, provide specialist equipment and facilities for T Levels, and deliver the commitment to 21 Institutes of Technology across England. This investment will ensure that colleges are able to deliver the skills that local areas need, including in key sectors like biosciences and green energy.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to remove the 12-month minimum course requirement for the use of apprenticeship levy money.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is committed to supporting more employers in all sectors to use apprenticeships to develop the skilled workforces they need. The department is committed to supporting more people to benefit from the sustained, high-quality training that apprenticeships offer.
Levy-payers can spend their levy funds on over 660 apprenticeship standards and the department is encouraging more flexible training models so employers can train their apprentices in the ways that work best for them.
The department considers that a period of 24 months before levy funds expire gives employers ample time to plan their apprenticeship programmes and create new apprenticeship opportunities.
The department’s reforms have raised the quality of apprenticeships, giving apprentices confidence that they will receive stretching and sustained training. We continue to support and safeguard apprenticeship quality through several measures, including minimum duration requirements for off-the-job training, provider accountability monitoring, the 12-month minimum period of training, and Ofsted inspection and monitoring visits.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to extend the period of time within which employers can use their apprenticeship levy funds from 24 to 36 months.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is committed to supporting more employers in all sectors to use apprenticeships to develop the skilled workforces they need. The department is committed to supporting more people to benefit from the sustained, high-quality training that apprenticeships offer.
Levy-payers can spend their levy funds on over 660 apprenticeship standards and the department is encouraging more flexible training models so employers can train their apprentices in the ways that work best for them.
The department considers that a period of 24 months before levy funds expire gives employers ample time to plan their apprenticeship programmes and create new apprenticeship opportunities.
The department’s reforms have raised the quality of apprenticeships, giving apprentices confidence that they will receive stretching and sustained training. We continue to support and safeguard apprenticeship quality through several measures, including minimum duration requirements for off-the-job training, provider accountability monitoring, the 12-month minimum period of training, and Ofsted inspection and monitoring visits.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to expand Free School Meals to all children with families in receipt of Universal Credit.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since 2010, the number of pupils receiving a free school meal (FSM) has increased by more than two million. This increase in provision is due to the introduction of Universal Infant Free School Meals and protections put in place as benefit recipients move across to Universal Credit. Over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM, compared with one in six in 2010.
The Department believes that the current eligibility threshold level, which enables children in low income households to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one. The Department does not have plans to change the current eligibility conditions for FSM, but will continue to keep eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. The Department continues to monitor the consequences of the rising cost of living and is working with other Government Departments to provide support to disadvantaged families.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much money South Tyneside Council has returned to her Department from grants allocated in the last two years as of 19 January 2023.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The total amount of money received through payments made to the Department for Education by South Tyneside Council between 19 January 2021 and 19 January 2023 is £930,310.63.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reform children’s social care.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade
The department will shortly publish a detailed implementation strategy in response to the Independent Review for Children’s Social Care, the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s reviews into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson, and the Competition Markets Authority report into children’s social care placements.
To support delivery, we have set up a National Implementation Board, made up of sector experts and those with experience of leading transformational change, and people with lived experience of the care system.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2022 to Question 111600 on Holiday Activities and Food Programme, how much and what proportion of the funding allocated to each local authority was spent on (a) administration, (b) publicity and marketing, (c) activities, (d) transport, (e) staffing, (f) food (g) club provisions and (h) other expenses in the financial year2021-22.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade
The department does not hold data for the breakdowns requested. The closest available information is published in the 2021 evaluation of the programme, published in March 2022, which provides analysis of local authority expenditure on the programme for the Easter and Summer holidays. The evaluation report indicates that 92% of the funding was spent on direct delivery of the programme including face-to-face holiday club provision, food costs, activity costs, staffing costs, and transport costs. The remaining 8% was spent on the administration of the programme by local authorities. This report can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1065868/Evaluation_of_the_2021_holiday_activities_and_food_programme.pdf.
Our Holiday Activities and Food programme grant letter sets requirements for local authorities in relation to programme expenditure. It specifies that up to 10% of an authority’s funding allocation may be spent on programme administration, with the remaining 90% being spent on the direct delivery of free places for eligible children. Local authorities must confirm through an annual Certificate of Expenditure that the funding has been properly expended. The department does not specify how much local authorities should spend on food, activities, staff and transport as local circumstances will vary.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's guidance entitled Holiday activities and food programme 2022, published on 28 January 2022, how much and what proportion of the funding allocated to each local authority for the 2021-2022 financial year was spent on (a) administration, (b) publicity and marketing, (c) activities, (d) transport, (e) staffing, (f) food and (g) any other expense.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade
The department's Holiday Activities and Food programme grant letter sets requirements for local authorities programme expenditure. It specifies that up to 10% of an authority’s funding allocation may be spent on programme administration, with the remaining 90% being spent on the direct delivery of free places for eligible children. Local authorities must confirm through an annual Certificate of Expenditure that the funding has been properly expended.
An evaluation of the programme, published in March 2022, provides analysis of local authority expenditure on the programme for the Easter and summer holidays in 2021. The evaluation report indicates that 92% of the funding was spent on direct delivery of the programme including face-to-face holiday club provision, food costs, activity costs, staffing costs, and transport costs. The remaining 8% was spent on the administration of the programme by local authorities. The evaluation report is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1065868/Evaluation_of_the_2021_holiday_activities_and_food_programme.pdf.