Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using (a) the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and (b) other opportunities within further education colleges to help (i) people to develop skills for the workplace and (ii) deliver local skills improvement plans.

Answered by Luke Hall

The department recognises the importance of ensuring learners and employees gain all the skills that businesses need to succeed and grow. The need for communication skills and resilience was also a theme that came through strongly in the employer-led Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIP) that were published in August 2023.

Each of the 38 LSIPs are led by a designated employer representative body (ERB), for example a local Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Business, or other local employer body. This puts employers at the heart of the skills system and supports the government’s long-term priority to drive local economic growth by better aligning provision of post-16 technical education and training with local labour market needs.

The department’s LSIPs statutory guidance makes clear that a range of national and local bodies and organisations can play an important role in supporting and facilitating the development and implementation of LSIPs. These could include youth sector organisations or schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The department recognises that opportunities provided by these organisations can help young people develop a range of skills that can support them in the workplace, such as resilience, adaptability, creativity, problem solving, decision-making and communication skills.

It is for the designated ERB in each area to determine the most relevant stakeholders to work with to deliver effective solutions to meet employer-identified local labour market needs. However, the department will review the LSIP statutory guidance ahead of the next round of LSIP development.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of supporting youth sector organisations to work with Local Enterprise Partnerships on the implementation of local skills improvement plans.

Answered by Luke Hall

The department recognises the importance of ensuring learners and employees gain all the skills that businesses need to succeed and grow. The need for communication skills and resilience was also a theme that came through strongly in the employer-led Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIP) that were published in August 2023.

Each of the 38 LSIPs are led by a designated employer representative body (ERB), for example a local Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Business, or other local employer body. This puts employers at the heart of the skills system and supports the government’s long-term priority to drive local economic growth by better aligning provision of post-16 technical education and training with local labour market needs.

The department’s LSIPs statutory guidance makes clear that a range of national and local bodies and organisations can play an important role in supporting and facilitating the development and implementation of LSIPs. These could include youth sector organisations or schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The department recognises that opportunities provided by these organisations can help young people develop a range of skills that can support them in the workplace, such as resilience, adaptability, creativity, problem solving, decision-making and communication skills.

It is for the designated ERB in each area to determine the most relevant stakeholders to work with to deliver effective solutions to meet employer-identified local labour market needs. However, the department will review the LSIP statutory guidance ahead of the next round of LSIP development.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the reported remarks by President Erdogan on 21 March 2024.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani

President Erdogan made an election campaign speech on 21 March which covered several areas, including the conflict in Gaza and the strengthening economy. On Gaza, the UK will maintain a dialogue with Turkey as a NATO ally and key actor on several conflicts in the region. On the economy, the UK has now launched negotiations for an upgraded Free Trade Agreement that will benefit both our economies.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what support his Department is providing to partners in Israel to help tackle online disinformation campaigns.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell

The FCDO is not working through partners in Israel, but is working with partners across government directly to identify information manipulation, hold hostile actors to account for malign activity and increase access to factual information.

Found: Tuesday 17 January 2023 Members present Catherine McKinnell, in the Chair Martyn Day Jonathan Gullis

Found: 16 (68.8%) Peter Gibson (Conservative, Darlington) (added 14 May 2024) 0 of 1 (0.0%) Jonathan Gullis

Found: (43.3%) Nick Fletcher (Conservative, Don Valley) (added 2 Mar 2020) 19 of 30 (63.3%) Jonathan Gullis

Found: • the Public Order Act 2023 – 23 May 2022 Vol.715 Cols.85 -86, per Jonathan Gullis; 18 October 2022

Found: Hodge Hill) (Chair) Douglas Chapman MP (Scottish National Party, Dunfermline and West Fife) Jonathan Gullis

Found: (Scottish National Party, Dunfermline and West Fife) (added 12 Sep 2023) 0 of 1 (0.0%) Jonathan Gullis

Found: Dame Margaret Hodge Kevin Foster Lloyd Russell-Moyle Mr Rob Roberts Rachael Maskell Jonathan Gullis

Found: Dame Margaret Hodge Kevin Foster Lloyd Russell-Moyle Mr Rob Roberts Rachael Maskell Jonathan Gullis

Found: Dame Margaret Hodge Kevin Foster Lloyd Russell-Moyle Mr Rob Roberts Rachael Maskell Jonathan Gullis

Found: Rees-Mogg Fiona Bruce Dame Margaret Hodge Kevin Foster Lloyd Russell-Moyle Mr Rob Roberts Jonathan Gullis

Found: Rees-Mogg Fiona Bruce Dame Margaret Hodge Kevin Foster Lloyd Russell-Moyle Mr Rob Roberts Jonathan Gullis

Found: Rees-Mogg Fiona Bruce Dame Margaret Hodge Kevin Foster Lloyd Russell-Moyle Mr Rob Roberts Jonathan Gullis

Found: Rees-Mogg Fiona Bruce Dame Margaret Hodge Kevin Foster Lloyd Russell-Moyle Mr Rob Roberts Jonathan Gullis

Found: 2023-24 SalarySeverance paymentsPension benefits Total £ £to nearest £1,000to nearest £1,000 Jonathan Gullis

Found: 2023-24 SalarySeverance paymentsPension benefits Total £ £to nearest £1,000to nearest £1,000 Jonathan Gullis

Found: Regrettably, this is not a new phenomenon, and we commend the campaign by Jonathan Gullis and James