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Written Question
Hydrogen: Production
Tuesday 4th July 2023

Asked by: Lia Nici (Conservative - Great Grimsby)

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 support the production of green hydrogen.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Shadow Minister (Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government intends to run annual allocation rounds to support electrolytic hydrogen production, with the aim of having up to one gigawatt of electrolytic hydrogen in construction or operation by 2025.


Written Question
School Leaving: Training
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Lia Nici (Conservative - Great Grimsby)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve vocational skills among school and college leavers.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The department wants all students to have access to high quality vocational and technical learning. That is why the department is reforming technical education to ensure that all post-16 students have access to high quality technical options that support progression and meet employer needs.

This includes the introduction of T Levels which are substantial, rigorous and focused on high quality learning, and include a substantial industry placement element of around nine weeks. They will provide the knowledge and experience needed for skilled employment, further study (including higher education) or a higher apprenticeship.

We will have 23 T Levels available from 2023 and the major providers of vocational education are already fully engaged with T Level planning and delivery, with over 200 schools also either planning or already offering T Levels.

We are also working closely with employers and employer groups nationally to build their awareness about T Levels and the importance of vocational education and to encourage them to offer industry placements.

Apprenticeships are a core part of the government’s skills agenda, helping to drive economic growth by improving the skills pipeline. They give employees high-quality, hands-on training to start and progress in work and give employers the skills they need to grow, helping them fill their vacancies and train their workforces to address industry skills gaps. They offer a high-quality route into more than 650 occupations, from entry-level to expert roles, spanning Levels 2 to 7. To support more employers across the country to access apprenticeships we are increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by 2024/25 financial year.

We have introduced Skills Bootcamps which offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and the offer of a job interview with an employer. They are currently available across the country and deliver training in key areas such as digital, technical (including engineering and manufacturing), construction, logistics and green skills.

The free Courses for Jobs offer allows eligible adults to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications (A level equivalent) for free, in subject areas including engineering, construction, health and social care and accounting, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job.


Written Question
Kickstart Scheme
Wednesday 8th December 2021

Asked by: Lia Nici (Conservative - Great Grimsby)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart scheme placements have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started by young people by (i) nation, (ii) region and (iii) sector as of 30 November 2021.

Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities

As of the 30th November 2021, over 311,000 jobs have been approved for funding and around 110,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people. Over 223,000 jobs have been advertised and made available for young people to apply to through the scheme

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 2nd December 2021 and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application. Included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location. Data on approved jobs is taken from a snapshot of the Kickstart system at a point in time. This figure can be affected by retrospective changes resulting from applications being rescinded.

The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Table 1- Kickstart jobs made available and started by location.

Location

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

East Midlands

13,360

6,760

East of England

17,410

7,770

London

49,090

23,460

North East

9,370

5,240

North West

28,020

13,920

Scotland

16,770

9,570

South East

25,200

11,840

South West

14,990

6,830

Wales

11,390

5,230

West Midlands

19,760

10,280

Yorkshire and The Humber

17,870

8,840

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.

Table 2- Kickstart jobs made available and started by sector.

Sector

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

Administration

55,040

27,160

Animal Care

1,320

880

Beauty & Wellbeing

1,630

900

Business & Finance

8,300

4,020

Computing Technology & Digital

15,570

8,870

Construction & Trades

6,700

3,390

Creative & Media

18,940

10,880

Delivery & Storage

6,280

3,130

Emergency & Uniform Services

510

240

Engineering & Maintenance

6,780

3,340

Environment & Land

4,200

2,170

Government Services

930

330

Healthcare

5,920

2,330

Home Services

1,690

590

Hospitality & Food

25,330

9,270

Law & Legal

540

340

Managerial

1,010

480

Manufacturing

6,190

2,940

Retail & Sales

33,300

18,460

Science & Research

870

540

Social Care

4,770

1,820

Sports & Leisure

5,400

2,690

Teaching & Education

10,540

4,420

Transport

840

240

Travel & Tourism

690

330

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.


Written Question
Business: Northern Ireland
Wednesday 20th January 2021

Asked by: Lia Nici (Conservative - Great Grimsby)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

What steps his Department is taking to help Northern Ireland businesses adjust to the new trading arrangements with the EU.

Answered by Robin Walker

My Department is in constant dialogue with businesses in Northern Ireland to support them in adapting to new processes. The Northern Ireland Protocol means that there are no checks or controls when trading with the EU.

The Government has published extensive guidance for traders in Northern Ireland and Great Britain, and work is ongoing to ensure businesses are fully aware of the flexibilities and mitigations in place.

We are also backing Northern Ireland’s success with over £1billion of investment to deliver the Trader Support Service, develop new technology, contribute to the PEACE PLUS Programme, and further support businesses and communities as part of the ‘New Deal for Northern Ireland’.