Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has set a minimum quality threshold under the apprenticeship accountability framework for training providers to continue offering new starts on a standard in the apprenticeship programme in England for the academic year 2025-26; and when she plans to communicate information about the required threshold to providers.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Apprenticeship Accountability Framework (AAF) is the department’s main tool for improving apprenticeship quality. The AAF evaluates Qualification Achievement Rates alongside nine other quality indicators, such as Ofsted outcomes, withdrawal rates and feedback from apprentices and employers, using updated data throughout the year.
The AAF sets minimum thresholds for each quality indicator, reflecting the department's baseline expectations for apprenticeship quality. If a provider's performance falls below these thresholds, it triggers a management conversation between the department and the provider, rather than an automatic cessation of starts on a standard.
The quality indicators and their minimum thresholds are detailed in the Apprenticeship Accountability Framework and Specification, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework-and-specification--2#accountability-policy-for-apprenticeship-training-providers. The department will continually review these indicators and thresholds, using the latest available data from the current and previous academic years, while considering sector consultation and feedback to ensure they are appropriately set.
Any changes to the AAF, including updates to quality indicators and their minimum thresholds, will be communicated to the sector.
Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme recipients there are in each constituency.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The number of scheme members in each constituency is listed in the attached table. This information is from the scheme trustees and correct as at 30 October 2024. Some of these scheme members will not yet be in receipt of their pension, but we do not have a breakdown of that information at constituency level.
Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will outline the timeline for the review of the Green Book.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The review of the Green Book will report back at the conclusion of the Spending Review in June.
Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any (a) devolved and (b) delegated responsibility agreements with devolved authorities prohibit them from setting up individual learning accounts within the Adults Skills Fund.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has devolved approximately 60% of the Adult Skills Fund to the nine Mayoral Strategic Authorities of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North East, South Yorkshire, Tees Valley, West Midlands, West of England, and West Yorkshire, and delegated to the Greater London Authority.
Devolved authorities are responsible for ensuring learners have access to the training they require to progress in life. It is therefore at the discretion of devolved authorities on what training or funding their learners have access to.
Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1926.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We recognise the importance of allotments and the immense contribution they make to the health, wellbeing and spirit of communities. We have not made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the Small Holdings and Allotments Act.
Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the timescales Parish Councils have to increase allotment spaces.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 requires local authorities including parish councils to provide enough allotments if they deem there is sufficient demand from the local population. They must also consider local representations submitted under this Act requesting the provision of allotments. There are currently no plans to prescribe a timeframe for local authorities to respond to these requests.
Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many work visas have been issued in each of the last ten years, broken down by country.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visas granted, by year, visa route, and nationality are published in table Vis_D02 of the Entry clearance visas detailed dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data cover the period up to the end of September 2024.
Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many financial penalties her Department has applied to Serco for underperformance on its Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts in each of the last five years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office applies Service Credits as per the contracts performance management framework, but disclosure of this information is commercially sensitive.
Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on Serco’s compliance with Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts requirements for each of the last five years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office holds detailed information on the compliance of its contractors with the requirements set out in Schedule 2 of the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC). The Home Office monitors Serco’s performance through a robust performance management framework. Performance data is published periodically and includes performance against key contractual obligations and key performance indicators.
Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing temporary blue badges to people recovering from operations.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Blue Badge scheme is primarily about helping people with a long-term disability, that affects their capacity to access the goods and services they need to use. Anyone may be entitled to a badge if they meet the eligibility criteria.
The Department has issued local authorities with advice on how they could use existing powers to provide locally determined parking concessions within their areas. For example, some local authorities grant parking concessions to assist their elderly residents. The same powers could be used to help those with temporary disabilities.