Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on (a) rolling out 15 hours of free childcare for working parents of two-year-olds from April 2024 and (b) extending 15 hours of free childcare to all children from the age of nine months from September 2024.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Since the Spring Budget 2023, the department has made good progress with preparations to roll out 15 hours of free childcare for working parents of two-year-olds from April 2024, and to extend the 15 hours of free childcare to all children from the age of nine months from September 2024. The department’s progress includes:
Further information on the rollout can be accessed at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/07/07/free-childcare-how-we-tackling-the-cost-of-childcare/.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding she has allocated to (a) rolling out 15 hours of free childcare for working parents of two-year-olds from April 2024 and (b) extending 15 hours of free childcare to all children from the age of nine months from September 2024; and how much the devolved nations will each receive in Barnett Formula consequential funding.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In the Spring Budget 2023, the Chancellor announced a transformative set of childcare reforms aimed at increasing labour market participation. This included the largest ever investment in childcare, including expansions of early years entitlements and wraparound childcare.
The department expects to provide over £4.1 billion by the 2027/28 financial year to fund the new entitlements (on top of increases also announced for the existing entitlements): £1.7 billion in 2024/25, £3.3 billion in 2025/26, £4.1 billion in 2026/27 and £4.1 billion in 2027/28. These figures are for England only.
At the Spring Budget, the government provided the devolved administrations with additional funding through the Barnett consequentials in the usual way. Details of the quantum of this funding are not held by the department.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of whether the National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices is adequate, in the context of increases in inflation; what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the adequacy of rates of pay for apprentices; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing the National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices to 80 per cent of the National Minimum Wage on (a) take up, (b) completion rates and (c) outcomes of apprenticeships.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government is committed to ensuring that apprentice pay supports the attraction and retention of talented individuals into apprenticeships.
The department recognises that apprentices may be experiencing financial pressures because of rises in the cost of living. In November 2022, the department 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 and the department continues to provide financial support to encourage more apprenticeship opportunities for young people.
Many employers choose to pay their apprentices more than the national minimum wage rates, recognising the value that apprentices bring to their workplace. Our data shows that average hourly pay for apprentices’ ranges between £8.23 for Level 2 and £14.02 for level 6.
The independent Low Pay Commission is responsible for advising government on annual changes to minimum pay rates. Its recommendations follow a period of extensive research and consultation with employers, sector representative bodies and government stakeholders. The consultation began on 23 March and closes on 9 June 2023. As with all other relevant stakeholders, the devolved administrations are welcome to contribute evidence.
The Commission has committed to keeping the Apprentice Rate under close review and will continue to assess whether a separate rate for apprentices is still justified. The full report can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1129930/Low_Pay_Commission_Report_2022.pdf.
Furthermore, the department makes £1,000 payments to employers and providers when they take on apprentices aged 16-18, which can be used to support costs such as wages, uniforms or travel, and we are increasing our care leavers’ bursary from £1,000 to £3,000.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what is the estimated total cost to the public purse of publishing and distributing a commemorative book to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in Wales.
Answered by Robin Walker
The published value of the contract, which is being funded by the department, is £12 million to develop, print and distribute sufficient books for all children in primary state funded education across the UK. Costs have not been broken down on a country by country basis. We are producing a near double-length bilingual book for Wales which will cost the UK government more to produce than single language versions.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department’s advice on overnight stays on outdoor activity centres in (a) England and (b) Wales.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has published guidance for providers who run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children over the age of 5, setting out the safety measures that must be in place to ensure they can operate over the summer holiday: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
This follows confirmation from my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, that from Saturday 4 July these providers can operate, with safety measures in place.
The guidance advises that children and young people can take part in outdoor activities in small, consistent groups of no more than 15 with at least one staff member. Out-of-school provision should not, however, offer overnight or residential provision for the time-being. This is consistent with the latest government guidance on meeting people from outside your household, (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-people-from-outside-your-household-from-4-july) which advises that you should not stay overnight away from your home with members of more than 2 households.
Outdoor activity providers who have been adversely affected by COVID-19 can find out what financial support is available for their business here: https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder. They may be eligible for tax relief, loans or cash grants through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme or the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for example depending on their circumstances.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on Government support for the outdoor activity sector following his Department’s advice on overnight stays.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has published guidance for providers who run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children over the age of 5, setting out the safety measures that must be in place to ensure they can operate over the summer holiday: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
This follows confirmation from my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, that from Saturday 4 July these providers can operate, with safety measures in place.
The guidance advises that children and young people can take part in outdoor activities in small, consistent groups of no more than 15 with at least one staff member. Out-of-school provision should not, however, offer overnight or residential provision for the time-being. This is consistent with the latest government guidance on meeting people from outside your household, (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-people-from-outside-your-household-from-4-july) which advises that you should not stay overnight away from your home with members of more than 2 households.
Outdoor activity providers who have been adversely affected by COVID-19 can find out what financial support is available for their business here: https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder. They may be eligible for tax relief, loans or cash grants through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme or the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for example depending on their circumstances.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what level of cooperation the Government will seek to negotiate with the EU on (a) Erasmus, (b) Creative Europe and (c) Horizon Europe after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
This government values the strong collaborative partnerships that we have across Europe in many areas including science, research and innovation, education, culture and media. We want to continue to support these opportunities.
We will continue to collaborate with the EU on these areas and we have been clear that where it is in the UK’s interests we will seek to participate in some specific EU Programmes. The Political Declaration agreed with the EU in October 2019 demonstrates a shared intent between UK and EU leaders to agree a framework that supports collaboration in science and innovation.
The shape and content of EU Programmes post-2020, including Horizon Europe, Creative Europe and Erasmus+, are currently being negotiated in the EU Institutions and have not yet been finalised. These EU Programmes must be adopted by the EU before any potential formal negotiations on association could begin.
The UK government is preparing for every eventuality and considering a wide range of options with regards to the future of international exchange and collaboration, including potential domestic alternatives.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made contingency plans for a UK programme of overseas study opportunities for university students in the event that the UK is not able to remain part of the EU's Erasmus programme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The Joint Report sets out that the UK and the EU fully intend for the eligibility of UK participants’ in Erasmus+ to remain unchanged for the duration of the programme. This includes eligibility to participate in Erasmus+ projects and to receive Erasmus+ funding for the lifetime of projects. The government encourages eligible organisations to continue to bid for Erasmus+ funding and participate in Erasmus+ projects.
The government's underwrite guarantee of Erasmus+ funding remains in place in the event that commitments enshrined in the Joint Report are not met. This guarantees funding for UK participants in ongoing projects at the point of the UK leaving the EU, as well as for participants that are only informed of their success or sign a grant agreement after the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many universities are registered as apprenticeship providers in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Anne Milton
102 universities are listed on the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s register of apprenticeship training providers, of which (a) 93 are in England, (b) three are in Wales, (c) five are in Scotland, and (d) one is in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training his Department has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on understanding the scrutiny and legislative roles of the UK Parliament; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such training courses in each of the last five years.
Answered by Anne Milton
All civil servants have access to the central learning offer provided through Civil Service Learning (CSL). There are one-day workshops on understanding Parliament, which are delivered at Foundation and Practitioner levels, which both cover Parliament’s scrutiny and legislative roles. Dedicated training sessions covering specific topics are also available including introductions to Parliament, select committees, debates and voting, pre and post legislative scrutiny, Parliamentary questions, delegated legislation, and primary legislation. A half-day workshop is available on producing effective Explanatory Memoranda to accompany secondary legislation. The Cabinet Office’s Parliamentary Business and Legislation Team provide training to Bill Teams. The Government Legal Department and Parliamentary Counsel run a course on ‘Dealing with Parliamentary Bills for Lawyers’, which covers parliamentary stages and handling. Bespoke sessions for government departments are also available on request.
There is an e-learning course on understanding Parliament, and access to two massive open online courses. These have been produced in partnership between the House of Commons and Future Learn, which is a digital education platform owned by the Open University.
The only course we have a data for is staff who have accessed e-learning training on ‘Parliamentary Processes’:
| Started but yet not completed | Completed | Total |
2018 | 20 | 13 | 33 |
2017 | 55 | 65 | 120 |
2016 | 23 | 16 | 39 |
Total | 98 | 94 | 192 |
Fast Stream civil servants receive a Parliament workshop during their induction, covering the role of Parliament in scrutinising government policy. For policy professionals, a Fast Stream Base Camp includes an optional workshop which focuses on the legislative process in both houses, typical timetables and roles of Ministers, Bill Teams and civil servants in delivering legislation.
For senior civil servants, a tailored a one-day workshop, ‘Leading in Parliament’, is available, which covers Parliament’s role, powers and relationship with government, and the day-to-day work of Members. A workshop delivered jointly between CSL and HM Treasury is provided for Accounting Officers. CSL provides a workshop specifically for Senior Responsible Officers with responsibility for secondary legislation. Every department has an Senior Civil Service Parliamentary Champion. There is a buddy system in place between Parliamentary Champions and senior House staff.
We also provide learning opportunities as follows: