Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the outputs from the Transformed Labour Force Survey will be published.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 20 November is attached.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2024 to Question 14487 on Private Education: Special Educational Needs, if she will publish the information that informed her Department's assessment of the potential impact of applying VAT to private school fees on pupils with SEND in private schools moving to state schools.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

HM Treasury (HMT) is responsible for VAT policy and publishing the impacts of the policy.

HMT has published an assessment of the impacts of removing the VAT exemption that applied to private school fees. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/ac8c20ce-4824-462d-b206-26a567724643#who-is-likely-to-be-affected.

Additionally, HMT published policy costings for applying the standard rate of VAT to private schools alongside the Autumn Budget 2024 on 30 October, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6721d2c54da1c0d41942a8d2/Policy_Costing_Document_-_Autumn_Budget_2024.pdf.

As the impact assessment publication sets out, the government estimates that only a very small minority of private school pupils (6%) will move and that most school moves will occur at natural transition points, which will reduce overall disruption. Longer term impacts on this group may be lessened by revenue raised by this measure being used to help the 94% of children who attend state schools, including over one million children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

There is no separate assessment by SEND. It is important to note that pupils who need a local authority-funded place in a private school will not be impacted by the changes. To protect pupils with special educational needs that can only be met in a private school, local authorities and devolved governments that fund these places will be compensated for the VAT they are charged on those pupils’ fees.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate her Department has made of the average cost of a child receiving SEND support in a state school.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department does not have the data to make an estimate of the average cost of a child receiving SEND support because no information is collected from schools on how much they spend on SEND support for individual children. To require schools to provide such information would involve placing significant burdens on schools. To calculate such costs, schools would need to apportion between pupils with SEND the time and attention teachers and other staff give to those pupils, and costs for other forms of support they receive individually, in groups or as part of whole class teaching.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-crime hate incidents were recorded by each police force in each year since 2014.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not currently centrally collate information on the number of non-crime hate incidents recorded by individual police forces.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Independent Social Workers are recognised by the Tribunal system as qualified to provide independent reports in immigration cases.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal is independent of government and act as impartial arbiters of the evidence presented by Appellants and the Home Office as Respondent to appeals. The Tribunal does not establish verification systems for any experts called by either party. Regulation of Social workers is overseen by Social Work England, Scottish Social Services Council, Social Care Wales and Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

Similarly, the Tribunal does not commission reports from parties and accordingly bears no cost.

The information requested on reports produced for either party on an appeal is not held centrally. HMCTS does not hold data on the number of expert reports that may have been entered into evidence by a party, the classification of the expert, the conclusions of that expert or whether those conclusions contradict or support the conclusions of the Home Office.

Judges weigh the opinions of experts and make their decisions based on all of the collective evidence including any expert reports that may be provided, but they are not bound to accept conclusions in those reports.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many reports were produced by Independent Social Workers for the immigration and asylum tribunals which recommended that a person liable to be removed from the UK should be allowed to stay in the last year for which data is available.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal is independent of government and act as impartial arbiters of the evidence presented by Appellants and the Home Office as Respondent to appeals. The Tribunal does not establish verification systems for any experts called by either party. Regulation of Social workers is overseen by Social Work England, Scottish Social Services Council, Social Care Wales and Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

Similarly, the Tribunal does not commission reports from parties and accordingly bears no cost.

The information requested on reports produced for either party on an appeal is not held centrally. HMCTS does not hold data on the number of expert reports that may have been entered into evidence by a party, the classification of the expert, the conclusions of that expert or whether those conclusions contradict or support the conclusions of the Home Office.

Judges weigh the opinions of experts and make their decisions based on all of the collective evidence including any expert reports that may be provided, but they are not bound to accept conclusions in those reports.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to the asylum and immigration tribunal system was of commissioning reports from Independent Social Workers in each of the last five years.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal is independent of government and act as impartial arbiters of the evidence presented by Appellants and the Home Office as Respondent to appeals. The Tribunal does not establish verification systems for any experts called by either party. Regulation of Social workers is overseen by Social Work England, Scottish Social Services Council, Social Care Wales and Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

Similarly, the Tribunal does not commission reports from parties and accordingly bears no cost.

The information requested on reports produced for either party on an appeal is not held centrally. HMCTS does not hold data on the number of expert reports that may have been entered into evidence by a party, the classification of the expert, the conclusions of that expert or whether those conclusions contradict or support the conclusions of the Home Office.

Judges weigh the opinions of experts and make their decisions based on all of the collective evidence including any expert reports that may be provided, but they are not bound to accept conclusions in those reports.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many reports were produced by Independent Social Workers for the immigration and asylum tribunals in the last year for which data is available.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal is independent of government and act as impartial arbiters of the evidence presented by Appellants and the Home Office as Respondent to appeals. The Tribunal does not establish verification systems for any experts called by either party. Regulation of Social workers is overseen by Social Work England, Scottish Social Services Council, Social Care Wales and Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

Similarly, the Tribunal does not commission reports from parties and accordingly bears no cost.

The information requested on reports produced for either party on an appeal is not held centrally. HMCTS does not hold data on the number of expert reports that may have been entered into evidence by a party, the classification of the expert, the conclusions of that expert or whether those conclusions contradict or support the conclusions of the Home Office.

Judges weigh the opinions of experts and make their decisions based on all of the collective evidence including any expert reports that may be provided, but they are not bound to accept conclusions in those reports.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of wifi available across the rail network.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I have asked my officials to explore the feasibility of a range of technology options to improve passenger connectivity on the rail network. The Department is also conducting research to measure the strength of mobile signals along the rail network to fully understand where interventions are needed, and the potential impacts.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.41 of the Autumn Budget, published on 24 October 2024, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the increase in the employment allowance in each year of the forecast period.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all next year, more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package, and all eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

The estimated cost of the increase to the Employment Allowance is set out in the table below:

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of (a) apprenticeship courses started and (b) apprenticeship levy spent were for (i) Level 6 and (ii) Level 7 apprenticeships in each year since 2016.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The proportions of apprenticeships starts at level 6 and level 7, as a percentage of total apprenticeship starts at all levels, are provided in the table below for each academic year between 2015/16 and 2023/24.

Further information on numbers of apprenticeship starts by detailed level can be found at: https://content.explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/api/releases/bfd06312-7732-41bc-97e7-94a6d85d2400/files/1ff3ab06-a956-4baa-921c-7166db33c723.

The apprenticeship levy was introduced in 2017, from which the department is allocated an apprenticeships budget for England. This budget is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts in apprenticeship levy and non-levy paying employers, and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers and providers.

The table below shows total spend on level 6 and level 7 apprenticeships, in both levy-paying and non-levy paying employers in England, as a proportion of the total spend on the apprenticeship programme since the 2017/18 financial year.

Spend is rounded to the nearest million and proportions to the nearest whole number.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools were (i) newly graded inadequate or (ii) received a second consecutive Requires Improvement by Ofsted in each year since 2010.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to allow firms to use up to 50% of the Growth And Skills Levy to fund non-apprenticeship training.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government’s reformed growth and skills offer, with apprenticeships at the heart, will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers, aligned with our industrial strategy, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, such as in construction, digital and green skills.

As a first step, this 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 does not publish estimates of the number of future apprenticeship starts. The new government has inherited a context of a declining number of apprenticeship starts. Following reforms to apprenticeships, including the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017, apprenticeship starts by young people under 25 fell by 38% between the 2015/16 and 2022/23 academic years, with an overall decline in starts of 34%. Apprenticeship starts figures are published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships.

The department is in the process of designing the growth and skills offer and it will set out more detail in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people starting apprenticeships in each year of this Parliament.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government’s reformed growth and skills offer, with apprenticeships at the heart, will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers, aligned with our industrial strategy, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, such as in construction, digital and green skills.

As a first step, this 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 does not publish estimates of the number of future apprenticeship starts. The new government has inherited a context of a declining number of apprenticeship starts. Following reforms to apprenticeships, including the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017, apprenticeship starts by young people under 25 fell by 38% between the 2015/16 and 2022/23 academic years, with an overall decline in starts of 34%. Apprenticeship starts figures are published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships.

The department is in the process of designing the growth and skills offer and it will set out more detail in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill, what definition her Department is using of mainly, in the context of schools that are mainly concerned with the provision of education to children with an education, health and care plan.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Bill sets out that where a private school is wholly or mainly concerned with providing education for pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan they will be exempt from the measure and therefore retain eligibility for business rates charitable relief. The wholly or mainly test is one which is common across various parts of business rates and local authorities are accustomed to applying it. Wholly or mainly is generally taken to mean 50% or more.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the increase in the rate of employer National Insurance Contributions on the costs of (a) schools, (b) colleges, (c) higher education institutions and (d) early years settings in each year to 2030.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, made an announcement at the Autumn Budget 2024 setting out changes to Employers National Insurance Contributions policy. Alongside this, she announced funding to the public sector to support them with the additional associated cost.

The department will work closely with HM Treasury (HMT) to understand the implications for our sectors. This process will conclude when HMT confirm funding allocations by department as part of setting baselines and planning assumptions for the second phase of the spending review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the increase in the rate of employer National Insurance Contributions on (a) direct and (b) indirect departmental costs.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, made an announcement at the Autumn Budget 2024 setting out changes to Employers National Insurance Contributions policy. Alongside this, she announced funding to the public sector to support them with the additional associated cost.

The department will work closely with HM Treasury (HMT) to understand the implications for our sectors. This process will conclude when HMT confirm funding allocations by department as part of setting baselines and planning assumptions for the second phase of the spending review.