Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the ability of newly formed companies to access finance.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government works with the British Business Bank to improve the access to finance landscape for smaller businesses. An example of the Bank’s interventions is the Start Up Loans programme which provides personal loans to start up a new business or develop an existing early-stage business. The programme also offers pre-application support and post-loan mentoring advice. Programme evaluation in December 2024 found just over two-thirds of the finance provided by Start Up Loans would not have been provided by mainstream providers.
In addition, a call for evidence has been launched by the Department on small business access to finance, seeking views on how far existing policies meet business needs, and where we may be able to go further.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK residents with British National (Overseas) Visas are able to access pension savings held abroad.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware that individuals who have moved to the UK on the British National (Overseas) visa route are having difficulties in drawing down early their pension savings held in Hong Kong. We are committed to supporting the valued BN(O) community in the UK and are clear that discrimination against BN(O) passport holders is unacceptable. We have discussed the matter in detail with the relevant banks and we continue to raise this issue directly with the Hong Kong authorities to encourage a pragmatic solution.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of (a) trends in the level of completion rates of people undertaking apprenticeships funded by the apprenticeship levy and (b) the quality of monitoring of Higher Education institutions via the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Qualification achievement rates for apprenticeships are published annually at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/2024-25. Data for the 2023/24 academic year is available at this link.
The department holds all apprenticeship training providers to account for quality delivery through its Apprenticeship Accountability Framework, which encompasses a wide range of quality indicators, including retention rates, employer and apprentice feedback, as well as achievement rates. Further detail about the framework can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework-and-specification--2.
Ofsted routinely inspects the quality of training delivery in all apprenticeship providers, including higher education (HE) providers, and will ensure that all apprenticeship training providers are inspected by September 2025. A summary of Ofsted’s inspection findings up to 31 August 2024 is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/further-education-and-skills-inspections-and-outcomes-as-at-31-august-2024/main-findings-further-education-and-skills-inspections-and-outcomes-as-at-31-august-2024#data-4.
The Office for Students is the independent regulator of English HE providers and works with other organisations to make sure degree apprenticeships meet the right quality and standards. This includes considering the inspections that Ofsted carries out to decide whether a provider is complying with its conditions of registration in this area. Its regulatory framework can be found at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/regulatory-framework-for-higher-education-in-england/.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has commissioned research into the satisfaction rates of (a) private companies and (b) students participating in apprenticeship levy programmes.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The apprenticeship evaluation surveys commissioned by the department provide insights into the satisfaction rates of employers and apprentices.
For employers, overall satisfaction rates were 83% for all commercial employers and 89% for all employers who reported a wage bill of over £3 million. Employers with wage bills of over £3 million were eligible for the Apprenticeship Levy. These figures are published on sheet 55 of the ‘Apprenticeship evaluation 2023: employer survey data tables (overall)’, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-evaluation-2023-learner-non-completer-and-employer-surveys.
In the 2023 apprenticeship evaluation survey, 86% of all apprentices were satisfied with their apprenticeship overall. Satisfaction rates are not broken down according to whether their employer paid the Apprenticeship Levy. Further details can be found on page 113 of the ‘Apprenticeship evaluation 2023: learner and non-completer surveys research report’, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-evaluation-2023-learner-non-completer-and-employer-surveys.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many empty dwelling management orders were used in England in each of the last five years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department does not collect data on the number of Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMOs) that have been issued.
Local authorities can apply for an EDMO when a property has been empty for more than two years, subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for their proposal. More information can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representation non legacy groups have in her Department's Expert Bus Manufacturers Panel.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The membership of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel comprises two classifications: Standing Members and Additional Members. Standing Members include Government departments and wider industry bodies. Industry bodies include the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Urban Transport Group (UTG), Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) and the Association of Local Bus Managers (ALBUM).
Additional Members will be invited to relevant meetings when particular issues are under consideration. These include bus manufacturers, operators and mayoral combined authorities. This decision was taken to ensure that the expertise of additional members is reflected during relevant meetings when specific issues are under discussion.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve partnerships with major humanitarian relief donors, in the context of the recent USAID funding freeze announcement.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are currently working to assess the implications of the US funding pause across development sectors, geographic regions and multilateral organisations. We are gathering information and working with other donor partners to share analysis of the pause before making any decisions.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support the outdoor education industry.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department believes all children and young people should have access to outdoor learning and the opportunity to learn about and connect with nature. Access to green space has been shown to have positive impacts on the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of young people. The National Education Nature Park, a key initiative of our Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, provides the opportunities for children and young people to benefit from spending time in nature.
The department is also working to make sure that all children and young people have access to a variety of enrichment opportunities at school, including outdoor learning, as an important part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We recognise that these activities are a vital way for children and young people to gain skills, supporting them to achieve and thrive. Outdoor education specifically is linked to improved motivation, social capital and sense of belonging in school.
Beyond outdoor education through schools, many outdoor education organisations could be considered out-of-school settings. The government recognises that out-of-school settings can supplement schools’ learning and enriching activities for children, with significant educational benefits for children’s mental health, wellbeing, and social development.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to update whistleblowing laws.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is updating whistleblowing laws through the Employment Rights Bill which will strengthen the protections for whistleblowers, by making it explicit that sexual harassment can be the basis for a protected disclosure.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on long-term funding for active travel.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises that investment in high quality active travel infrastructure supports its economic growth, health and net zero missions by helping to revitalise high streets; enabling people to live longer, healthier lives; and helping to reduce transport emissions. The Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6 on 12 February.
The Department’s Ministers will be having regular discussions with their Treasury counterparts as part of the ongoing Spending Review which will conclude later this Spring.