Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Skills England’s report entitled Skills England: driving growth and widening opportunities, published on 24 September 2024, what steps she has taken to support cross-departmental working by Skills England (a) in general and (b) to provide training on green skills to employees in sectors that plan to decarbonise.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In September 2024, Skills England published their first report, titled, ‘Skills England: Driving Growth and Widening Opportunities’. This report sets out Skills England’s role, the key skills challenges that limit economic growth and opportunity, and an initial assessment of skills needs in the economy.
Part of Skills England’s role is to ensure that skills sit at the heart of joined-up decision making across government. This includes working closely with:
i) The Industrial Strategy Council, so that we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver a clear, long-term plan for the future economy.
ii) The Department for Work on Pensions, on the government’s plan to Get Britain Working.
iii) The Migration Advisory Committee, so that growing the domestic skills pipeline reduces our reliance on overseas workers.
iv) Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to ensure that regional skills needs are met and there is alignment with national priorities.
v) The devolved administrations, to ensure join-up across the UK.
vi) The full range of central government departments including the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), which has set up the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to meet our clean energy superpower mission.
Skills England will ensure that skills development aligns with the UK’s carbon emission and environmental targets, working in partnership with businesses, educational institutions, and regional and local organisations. Following the publication of its first report, Skills England consulted over 700 employers and other key stakeholders, including from the green economy, on their skills needs and priorities for training funded through the new growth and skills offer.
To meet carbon emission and environmental targets, skills training programmes must respond to the demands of a low-carbon economy, with qualifications and training pathways designed to directly address the ways in which jobs will change. Skills England will work with businesses and other government departments to help develop understanding of the importance of this shift including for employers and training providers.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has (a) evaluated the effectiveness and (b) undertaken a lessons learned review of the Green Jobs Delivery Group.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We have been building on the progress that the Green Jobs Delivery Group previously made by setting up the Office for Clean Energy Jobs (OCEJ). The OCEJ has been created to ensure that clean energy jobs are abundant, high quality, paid fairly, and have favourable terms and good working conditions.
The Department has undertaken lessons learned exercises of the work undertaken by, and to support the Green Jobs Delivery Group. This included an informal assessment of its effectiveness. The outputs have informed the establishment of the OCEJ and its work.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Office for Clean Energy Jobs makes use of the research and evidence collected by the Green Jobs Delivery Group.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Office for Clean Energy Jobs is committed to ensuring that research and evidence gathered by the former Green Jobs Delivery Group directly inform its initiatives. In December 2024 we published the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, accompanied by an Annex titled Assessment of the Clean Energy Skills Challenge. This Annex provides a comprehensive analysis of the skills landscape within the clean energy sector, highlighting workforce challenges and opportunities. We continue to engage with industry, unions, and educational bodies to ensure our policies align with latest labour market intelligence and effectively address workforce challenges in the clean energy sector.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to encourage the (a) reuse and (b) repair of items to help create a circular economy.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps that detail the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.
Defra recognises that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy, and a successful transition aims to eliminate waste and promote sustainability through reuse and resource efficiency. We will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Strategy.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to p.57 of the report by The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award entitled Youth Voices, published 23 July 2024, if she will make it her policy to ensure that the views of young people are represented (a) at all levels of policy and decision-making and (b) in decisions on issues that affect young people.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This Government recognises the value of effective youth participation in decision making at all levels. We understand this leads to impactful policy locally, regionally and nationally.
Youth consultation opportunities are being held across various government departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Education, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to shape policies on youth employment, communities, and environmental improvement.
We are currently co-producing the National Youth Strategy in partnership with young people and the youth sector. DCMS has already conducted Ministerial roundtables with young people and over the coming months will conduct a number of different engagement activities with young people, including focus groups. We launched a national survey on 5 March 2025 to ask young people about their issues and priorities.
We have also produced an engagement toolkit so MPs can run their own workshops and discussions with young people, or share this toolkit with organisations in their constituencies who work with young people.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues ahead of the publication of the Immigration White Paper.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Secretary is in regular dialogue with colleagues about all aspects of her responsibilities within the Government’s Plan for Change.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with pharmaceutical companies on taking steps to ensure an adequate supply of hormone replacement therapies for women experiencing the menopause.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department manages medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within Cambridgeshire is not held centrally.
Previously, there have been issues with the supply of a limited number of these products, primarily driven by very sharp increases in demand. Following the Department’s intensive engagement with industry, the supply position has improved considerably. As part of this we have met with suppliers on a very regular basis and have held nine hormone replacement therapy (HRT) supply roundtables since April 2022, with the most recent in September 2024, with suppliers, wholesalers, and community pharmacists, to provide updates on the supply position and the actions being taken to address the issues, share data, and discuss relevant policy developments and their potential impacts.
There are over 70 HRT products, and the vast majority are in good supply. Where there are issues with HRT products, we continue to work closely with suppliers and other stakeholders, such as the National Health Service and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, to expedite resupply dates of disrupted products to resolve the issues as soon as possible
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to hormone replacement therapies for women experiencing the menopause in Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department manages medicine supply issues at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within Cambridgeshire is not held centrally.
Previously, there have been issues with the supply of a limited number of these products, primarily driven by very sharp increases in demand. Following the Department’s intensive engagement with industry, the supply position has improved considerably. As part of this we have met with suppliers on a very regular basis and have held nine hormone replacement therapy (HRT) supply roundtables since April 2022, with the most recent in September 2024, with suppliers, wholesalers, and community pharmacists, to provide updates on the supply position and the actions being taken to address the issues, share data, and discuss relevant policy developments and their potential impacts.
There are over 70 HRT products, and the vast majority are in good supply. Where there are issues with HRT products, we continue to work closely with suppliers and other stakeholders, such as the National Health Service and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, to expedite resupply dates of disrupted products to resolve the issues as soon as possible
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times she has met with the Interim Chair of Skills England since their appointment.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Since their appointment in July, the Interim Chair of Skills England, Richard Pennycook, has met my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education six times and my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills five times. In addition, the Interim Chair has had weekly meetings with the Interim Chief Executive.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support intermediate and advanced apprenticeships.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Meeting the skills needs of the next decade is central to delivering all of the government's five missions on economic growth, opportunity for all, a stronger NHS, safer streets, and clean energy. Through delivering the opportunity and growth missions, the department will ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs.
There are over 360 apprenticeships at intermediate and advanced levels which are supporting people to train in occupations such as adult care worker, bricklayer or cyber security technician. A wide range of apprenticeships are also available at higher levels including data analyst, nuclear technician and registered nurse.
So far this academic year, between August and October 2024, there have been 132,560 apprenticeship starts across all levels; this is 1.3% higher than the same period in the previous year.
To support the development of skills at all levels, the government will reform the apprenticeships levy into a more flexible Growth and Skills levy that is aligned to the Industrial Strategy. This will create routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries.
As a first step, flexibilities will include shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors, helping more people learn new high quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country and providing high quality entry pathways for young people. The department will set out more detail on these plans in due course.