Toby Perkins Portrait

Toby Perkins

Labour - Chesterfield

First elected: 6th May 2010

Shadow Minister (Nature and Rural Affairs)

(since September 2023)

Shadow Minister (Education)
10th Apr 2020 - 5th Sep 2023
Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Bill
15th Mar 2023 - 23rd Mar 2023
Skills and Post-16 Education [HL] Bill
24th Nov 2021 - 7th Dec 2021
Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Bill
22nd Sep 2021 - 27th Oct 2021
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 11th May 2020
Home Affairs Committee
8th May 2019 - 6th Nov 2019
International Trade Committee
31st Oct 2016 - 3rd May 2017
Shadow Minister (Defence)
18th Sep 2015 - 27th Jun 2016
Shadow Minister (Business, Innovation and Skills)
7th Oct 2011 - 18th Sep 2015
Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee)
12th Jul 2010 - 30th Mar 2015
Statutory Instruments (Select Committee)
12th Jul 2010 - 30th Mar 2015
Shadow Minister (Education)
8th Oct 2010 - 7th Oct 2011
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
12th Jul 2010 - 2nd Nov 2010
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee
12th Jul 2010 - 2nd Nov 2010


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Toby Perkins has voted in 731 divisions, and 1 time against the majority of their Party.

20 Dec 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill - View Vote Context
Toby Perkins voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 6 Labour Aye votes vs 162 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 358 Noes - 234
View All Toby Perkins Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Alex Burghart (Conservative)
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
(129 debate interactions)
Matt Western (Labour)
Shadow Minister (Education)
(50 debate interactions)
Andrew Gwynne (Labour)
Shadow Minister (Social Care)
(38 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Education
(396 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(53 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(53 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(42 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Toby Perkins's debates

Chesterfield Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

Reverse the plan to withdraw funding for most applied general qualifications such as BTECs and guarantee they will continue to play a major role in the qualifications landscape. Students should not be forced to choose between studying A levels or T levels from the age of 16.

The Government should repeal breed specific provisions in dangerous dogs legislation. We believe these provisions are a flawed approach to public safety and an ethical failing with regards to animal welfare.

The Government should provide more funding for stalking advocates for victims of stalking. This would help support victims, and should also help the police to investigate cases more thoroughly, potentially helping prevent threats to life.


Latest EDMs signed by Toby Perkins

23rd March 2022
Toby Perkins signed this EDM on Thursday 24th March 2022

P&O Ferries and DP World

Tabled by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
That this House condemns in the strongest possible terms the decision of P&O Ferries to fire 800 staff without notice or consultation with their trade unions, the RMT and Nautilus; demands the immediate reinstatement of the sacked workers; condemns their replacement with agency workers earning as little as £1.80 per …
125 signatures
(Most recent: 27 Apr 2022)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 93
Scottish National Party: 12
Liberal Democrat: 7
Independent: 4
Plaid Cymru: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
Alba Party: 2
Green Party: 1
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
23rd September 2021
Toby Perkins signed this EDM on Monday 25th October 2021

Campaign to secure the future of the Covid Memorial Wall

Tabled by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
That this House welcomes the creation of the Covid Memorial Wall on Albert Embankment by Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice; notes that this memorial now includes over 150,000 hand-painted hearts to symbolise all those who lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic; praises the work of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for …
139 signatures
(Most recent: 21 Feb 2022)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 97
Scottish National Party: 15
Liberal Democrat: 10
Conservative: 5
Democratic Unionist Party: 5
Independent: 3
Plaid Cymru: 3
Green Party: 1
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
View All Toby Perkins's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Toby Perkins, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Toby Perkins has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Toby Perkins has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

1 Bill introduced by Toby Perkins


The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make it a criminal offence to demand money to vacate an unauthorised encampment; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Wednesday 22nd May 2019
(Read Debate)

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
23rd Feb 2022
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of BAME Further Education (a) students and (b) college leaders.

Government is clear that all learners from all backgrounds must benefit from our education and training policies. Our latest FE trends participation data (August 2011 to July 2019) shows that whilst the total number of people in further education in England fell, during the same period, the percentage of people in further education from Asian, Black, Mixed, and Other ethnic groups increased from 19.3% to 22.6%.

We have exceeded our target to increase the proportion of apprentices from ethnic minority backgrounds starting apprenticeships. 14.3% of starts in 2020/21 were by people of Black Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, compared to 13.3% in 2019/20. We continue to raise awareness in schools through our ASK programme to support young people into apprenticeships and The Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network promotes diversity in apprenticeships including encouraging more from ethnic minorities into key sectors with historic under-representation.

We are supporting the largest-ever expansion of traineeships as part of the government’s Plan for Jobs to ensure that more young people have access to high-quality training. Since their introduction in the 2013/14 academic year (AY), the diversity record on traineeships has shown steady improvement, with around one third of starts being from ethnic minority backgrounds in 2020/21.

We also provide extra funding for colleges to support the most disadvantaged students with low prior attainment or living in deprived areas and provide learner support for disadvantaged students to help them overcome barriers to learning.

We have been working with a number of representative bodies in the Further Education sector to strengthen leadership and governance, including through greater diversity. We recognise the importance of having a diverse and representative workforce, and have funded the Education and Training Foundation to deliver a range of programmes designed to increase the diversity of leaders and managers. We have also committed to a new mandatory annual data collection in FE, which will uncover a large range of characteristics of the workforce, including ethnicity, which will provide a robust picture of the ethnic makeup of the workforce.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
23rd Sep 2020
To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many times each Member of Parliament has been successful in the Question Ballot and been called on in the Chamber or virtually in (a) Ministerial Statements, (b) Departmental Question sessions and (c) Urgent Questions since 16 April 2020.

The outcome of the 'shuffle' for oral questions for Ministers is published in Future Day Orals available on the day after the shuffle in question takes place. Information on the outcome in respect of individual Members during the period since 16 April 2020 is not held by the House of Commons Service and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

The calling of Members to ask supplementary questions during question time and to ask questions following an Urgent question or Ministerial statement is the responsibility of the Speaker of the House of Commons, and not within the responsibilities of the House of Commons Commission.

20th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the guidance sent by the Director of the Grant Delivery Directorate to councils on 10 November 2023, with the subject Flood Recovery Framework Schemes Operational Guidance - Business Recovery Grant, Storm Babet 19-25 October 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) removing the reference to businesses that have made no efforts to seek appropriate insurance and (b) reopening that scheme.

The Flooding Recovery Framework is based on a set of long-established principles including, in the case of the Business Recovery Grant, that:

"Funding should not be used to reward poor business practice (e.g. if a business has made no efforts to seek appropriate insurance....)."

Whilst there are no immediate plans to change the scheme eligibility criteria or to re-open the activation for those impacted by Storm Babet, it is worth noting that the Business Recovery Grant does not operate in isolation but as part of a package of support including business rates relief for SMEs.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
16th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what guidance was provided to local authorities on the eligibility criteria for businesses applying for a Business Recovery Grant following flooding.

For both Storm Babet and Storm Henk Business Recovery Grant activation, Local Authorities were invited by letter to agree a MOU with DBT which established the responsibilities of the parties and the principles for their co-operation. An operational guidance document provided further context, including definitions of terms, detail on the schemes and indicative timelines for reporting and payments.

A frequently asked questions document was provided, supplemented via regular stakeholder engagement sessions with officials to address queries and process requirements.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
11th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason there is a requirement for UK manufacturers to raise standard individual export licences applications for specific products into China.

An export licence is required to export controlled items including military goods, software and technology and dual-use items specified on the dual-use list from the United Kingdom to another country. A consolidated list of strategic military and dual-use items that require export authorisation is published on GOV.UK and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-strategic-export-control-lists-the-consolidated-list-of-strategic-military-and-dual-use-items-that-require-export-authorisation

In addition, items not included in this list may be subject to an export licence for China if they are or may be intended, in their entirety or in part, for use for use in a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programme or intended for a military end-use.

All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. HM Government published guidance for Standard individual export licences (SIELs) which can be accessed on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/standard-individual-export-licences

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
31st Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an estimate of the number of (a) accounting, (b) architecture and (c) quantity surveying job vacancies as of 31 January 2023; and if he will make an assessment of whether there are skills gaps in those sectors.

ONS vacancies data[1] shows that there were 122,000 vacancies in the professional, scientific and technical activities sector, which includes accounting, architecture and quantity surveying, in the three months to December 2022. The sector currently has a vacancy rate of 4.5%. The number of vacancies in the sector has fallen 6.2% compared with the first quarter of 2022 but remain at relatively high levels and are 58% higher than in the final quarter of 2019.

The Government is investing an additional £3.8 billion into skills and further education over this Parliament to ensure workers develop the skills businesses need. More specifically, the Department for Education set a strategy for skills reform which puts employers at the heart of skills training and education in the Skills for Job white paper. The Government help to articulate what employers need from the skills system through our sector teams’ engagement and sharing workforce data and intelligence with DfE’s Unit for Future Skills.

[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemployment/datasets/vacanciesbyindustryvacs02

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
29th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's National Policy Statements for Energy Infrastructure, published on 22 November 2023, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the change in definition of critical national priority on protected (a) habitats and (b) species.

The Department has published an Appraisal of Sustainability of the National Policy Statements. This assesses Critical National Priority against several themes, including the natural environment, and includes proposed monitoring to examine effects predicted through the Appraisal of Sustainability against the actual effects of the National Policy Statements once implemented. An accompanying Habitats Regulations Assessment has assessed the likely significant impacts of the National Policy Statements on protected sites, and the habitats and species associated with these sites.

The published Post Adoption Statement also addresses amendments to the National Policy Statements, informed by the Appraisal of Sustainability findings.

Andrew Bowie
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
3rd Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when households who use (a) liquefied petroleum gas, (b) heating oil and (c) other off-grid fuels will receive the £200 alternative fuel payment.

Most households eligible for the Alternative Fuel Payment will receive the payment discount automatically via their electricity supplier in February. Delivery mirrors the methods used to provide support under the government’s other energy bill support schemes. Most households will not need to take any action to receive the support.

For the small proportion of households that will need to apply for the Alternative Fuel Payment they will be able to do so by the end of February, through a GOV.UK portal which will include an overview of eligibility and what applicants need to do to apply for support.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
3rd Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to identify households who use (a) liquefied petroleum gas, (b) heating oil and (c) other off-grid fuels to help them apply for the £200 alternative fuel payment.

In order to identify households that are eligible for the Alternative Fuel Payment, the Government has produced a list of eligible Meter Point Administration Numbers (MPANs) and told electricity suppliers to pay those customers. MPANs are unique codes assigned to everyone’s electricity supply.

The Government determined if an MPAN was eligible by taking a list of all domestic MPANs and removing those which are in on gas grid postcodes or where the local area predominantly uses electricity for heating, as defined by the most recent Census in their area.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
28th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to work collaboratively with the Department for Education to help ensure sustained growth in the (a) engineering, (b) technology and (c) other sectors.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is working closely with the Department for Education (DfE) to develop a strong talent pool across industry and academia ensuring engineering, technology and other sectors have access to the skills needed for innovation and growth, for example sharing workforce data on skills demand. We are also working with industry to help them tackle skills shortages, for example co-developing a skills action plan with the space sector.

As set out in the Science and Technology Framework, DfE is working on a cross-government action plan to build on the UK’s enviable talent and skills base.

28th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of updating the Science and Technology Framework to include policies on apprenticeships; and if she will take steps with the Secretary of State for Education to increase the number of apprenticeships in the (a) engineering, (b) technology and (c) other key sectors.

The Science and Technology Framework outlines our goals and vision to 2030, including initial work that departments will undertake, but is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of the actions the government is taking. DSIT is working with the Department for Education (DfE) to expand opportunities for participation in STEM skills programmes. DfE's cross-government action plan on STEM talent and skills aims to develop the pipeline of individuals studying and working in priority sectors, including those taking up apprenticeships.

With over 350 high-quality apprenticeship standards available in STEM sectors, apprenticeships are an important route for supporting people to begin, or progress in careers in science and technology. From 3 April, small employers who do not pay the apprenticeship levy are able to recruit as many apprentices as their business needs where previously they were limited to 10 new apprenticeship starts. There are opportunities available through other routes, too: in the March budget, £63 million was announced for additional places for Skills Bootcamps and Sector-Based Work Academy placements, which will cover technical skills, digital skills and green skills. Apprenticeships are at the forefront of DfE's employer-centred skills system reforms.

31st Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent estimate she has made of the (a) number of vacancies and (b) level of skill shortages in (i) bricklaying, (ii) joinery, (iii) plastering, (iv) civil engineering, (v) plumbing and (vi) roofing.

The Department does not produce assessments of construction vacancies or skills shortages. These are produced by the Construction Skills Network, which produces annual forecasts of demand for construction skills by occupation and by region and Devolved Administration. The forecast for the 2023-27 was published on the 18 January 2023, and identifies the need for 225,000 additional construction workers during that period, based on likely demand. This forecast is publicly available on the website of the Construction Industry Training Board: https://www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/construction-industry-research-reports/construction-skills-network-csn/.

Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
31st Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the (a) number of vacancies and (b) level of skills within the (i) IT programming, (ii) IT hardware and network engineering, (iii) cybersecurity and (iv) data analysis sectors.

DCMS publishes rolling employment estimates for DCMS sectors. As of 2021, the Digital sector was made up of 1.8 million filled jobs, an increase of 108 thousand (6.3%) compared to the previous calendar year and 249 thousand (16.0%) since 2019. DCMS also published an assessment of the UK’s regional digital ecosystems, which has information on digital occupations and skills gaps for each UK region.

  1. IT programming

Consistent with the trend of previous years, in 2021, employment growth in the Digital Sector was particularly driven by the “IT, software and computer services” (960 thousand filled jobs) and “Computer programming, consultancy and related activities” (967 thousand filled jobs). Within the “IT, software and computer services” sub-sector, employment increased by 88 thousand filled jobs, while the same increase stood at 82 thousand within the “Computer programming, consultancy and related activities” sub-sector. There were over 94k vacancies in total for Software, Java, Full stack and Front-end developers in 2022 (People and Skills report, 2022). Burning glass found that programming skills are not required in isolation. In IT roles, 25% of the skills required are employability skills, such as communication, teamwork, and problem solving.

  1. IT hardware and network engineering

Engineering and security are in the top five most required skills for tech vacancies in 2021 (People and Skills report, 2022). The percentage of businesses in the ‘manufacturing and electronics and computers’ sub-sector with at least one skills gap in their workforce was estimated to be 17.4% (DCMS sector skills shortages and skills gaps). The highest number of network engineering vacancies advertised in 2019/ 2020 was in the South East England (12.6K) followed by South West England (5.6K), West Midlands (5.4K) and East of England (4.3K) (UK’s regional digital ecosystems). The percentage of ‘telecoms’ companies with at least one skills gap in their workforce was estimated to be 9.1% (DCMS sector skills shortages and skills gaps).

  1. Cybersecurity

The DCMS-commissioned 2022 cyber security labour market survey estimates the cyber security sector requires approximately 21,600 individuals per year to meet demand. Around 7,500 individuals entered the cyber workforce in 2021, suggesting an annual shortfall of around 14,100. Increasing the number of people with good cyber security skills is a key objective in the government's £2.6 billion National Cyber Strategy.

  1. Data analysis

DCMS analysis published in 2021 found that UK businesses were recruiting for 178,000 - 234,000 roles that require technical data skills, and almost half (46%) of companies recruiting struggled to fill these roles (Quantifying the UK Data Skills Gap). To assess demand for digital skills, DCMS worked with Burning Glass to develop a skills projections model. This model identifies data analysis as the cluster likely to grow fastest over the next five years. DCMS have rolled out the highly successful pilot of degree conversion courses in data science which aims to widen the pipeline of talent entering the IT sector. The scholarships ensure the AI that is built and used in the UK reflects the needs and make-up of society.

17th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to remove the UK from the Energy Charter Treaty.

The Government is closely monitoring developments in the Energy Charter Treaty as part of its engagement with the Treaty’s modernisation process.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
17th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will review the decision to award photography studios a £2,600 restart grant; and if he will allocate additional funds to local authorities so that a grant of £8,000 can be awarded to those studios.

The Restart Grants announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on 3 March 2021 are one-off grants to businesses in the non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure, personal care and accommodation sectors, to support businesses to reopen as Covid-19 restrictions are relaxed.

Strand One of the Restart Grants aims to support non-essential retail with grants of up to £6,000. Stand Two is to support hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses, with grants of up to £18,000. The higher amount is in recognition that these sectors will have been allowed to open at a later date and are likely to be more severely impacted by remaining restrictions.

The main service principle will determine which threshold of funding a business receives. Businesses will need to declare which is their main service. Local Authorities will need to exercise their reasonable judgement to determine whether or not a business is eligible for grants, and under which funding threshold, and be satisfied that they have taken reasonable and practicable steps to pay eligible businesses, and to pay them the correct amount.

Local Authorities in England have also been allocated £2bn in additional funding via the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), to provide essential support that best suits their area. The latest FAQs issued to Local Authorities on 6 May explain that ARG funding can be used as a top-up for businesses that are in receipt of grants under other schemes.

Further guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-restrictions-support-grants-lrsg-and-additional-restrictions-grant-arg-guidance-for-local-authorities.

17th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department made of the potential effect of the decision on the level of coronavirus restart grant to be awarded to photography studios on the revenue of those studios in the context of the restrictions placed on their business as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

The Restart Grants announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on 3 March 2021 are one-off grants to businesses in the non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure, personal care and accommodation sectors, to support businesses to reopen as Covid-19 restrictions are relaxed.

Strand One of the Restart Grants aims to support non-essential retail with grants of up to £6,000. Stand Two is to support hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses, with grants of up to £18,000. The higher amount is in recognition that these sectors will have been allowed to open at a later date and are likely to be more severely impacted by remaining restrictions.

The main service principle will determine which threshold of funding a business receives. Businesses will need to declare which is their main service. Local Authorities will need to exercise their reasonable judgement to determine whether or not a business is eligible for grants, and under which funding threshold, and be satisfied that they have taken reasonable and practicable steps to pay eligible businesses, and to pay them the correct amount.

Local Authorities in England have also been allocated £2bn in additional funding via the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), to provide essential support that best suits their area. The latest FAQs issued to Local Authorities on 6 May explain that ARG funding can be used as a top-up for businesses that are in receipt of grants under other schemes.

Further guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-restrictions-support-grants-lrsg-and-additional-restrictions-grant-arg-guidance-for-local-authorities.

17th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason photography studios are no longer in the leisure services category for covid-19 support grants.

The Restart Grants announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on 3 March 2021 are one-off grants to businesses in the non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure, personal care and accommodation sectors, to support businesses to reopen as Covid-19 restrictions are relaxed.

Strand One of the Restart Grants aims to support non-essential retail with grants of up to £6,000. Stand Two is to support hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses, with grants of up to £18,000. The higher amount is in recognition that these sectors will have been allowed to open at a later date and are likely to be more severely impacted by remaining restrictions.

The main service principle will determine which threshold of funding a business receives. Businesses will need to declare which is their main service. Local Authorities will need to exercise their reasonable judgement to determine whether or not a business is eligible for grants, and under which funding threshold, and be satisfied that they have taken reasonable and practicable steps to pay eligible businesses, and to pay them the correct amount.

Local Authorities in England have also been allocated £2bn in additional funding via the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), to provide essential support that best suits their area. The latest FAQs issued to Local Authorities on 6 May explain that ARG funding can be used as a top-up for businesses that are in receipt of grants under other schemes.

Further guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-restrictions-support-grants-lrsg-and-additional-restrictions-grant-arg-guidance-for-local-authorities.

11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many weighing and measuring products have already successfully transitioned from the EC weights and Measures directive to the UK CA directive in 2021.

The UKCA marking requirements came into force at 11pm on 31 December and apply to most products placed on the market in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) that were previously subject to CE marking requirements. The scope of the UKCA regime covers approximately 10,000 to 17,000 manufacturers across industries and product sectors.

In order to help businesses to transition to the new marking requirements, in areas where GB and EU rules remain the same, products with the CE marking, but without the UKCA marking, will be accepted on the GB market until 1 January 2022 in most cases (so long as they meet the relevant regulatory requirements). Businesses are not required to report to Government when they have transitioned to the new UKCA regime.

The Government continues to engage closely with industry to ensure that the transition to the new regime is as smooth as possible.

11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many employees of the National Measurement Office are working on transitioning products that have an EC weights and measures Directive certification into a UK CA certification.

The National Measurement Office (NMO) is part of the Office for Product Safety and Standards which is a directorate within the Department. NMO is an Approved Body responsible for product certification, quality management system certification, pre-assessment, and standards calibration for weights and measures instruments. Of the civil servants working in OPSS, 15 FTE are currently engaged principally on NMO functions of whom around a half are engaged on work related to the transition of certificates.

11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many employees work for the National Measurement Office.

The National Measurement Office (NMO) is part of the Office for Product Safety and Standards which is a directorate within the Department. NMO is an Approved Body responsible for product certification, quality management system certification, pre-assessment, and standards calibration for weights and measures instruments. Of the civil servants working in OPSS, 15 FTE are currently engaged principally on NMO functions of whom around a half are engaged on work related to the transition of certificates.

11th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2020 to Question 40974, on Postal Services: Coronavirus, whether he plans to make representations to the Royal Mail on the timeframe for reversing the temporary suspension of the Universal Service Obligation.

Royal Mail’s services are playing an important part to help mitigate the impact of coronavirus on individuals, families and businesses up and down the country, particularly during this period of increased social isolation.

Following Royal Mail’s announcement on 28 April that it would be temporarily suspending Saturday letter deliveries, on 1 May it stated that six days a week letter deliveries will resume from 13 June.

21st Apr 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of businesses that have (a) made applications for loans under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and (b) have received approval for those applications, broken down by each bank to which those businesses applied.

As of 21 April, over £2.8bn worth of loans have been issued under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, to over 16,600 businesses. Lenders have received 36,000 completed applications.

The information is not currently available broken down by each lender. We are working with the British Business Bank, HM Treasury and the lenders on providing transparent and regular data publication going forward.

26th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support an increase in the number of local authorities providing electric charging points in their car parks.

The On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) is a demand-led funding scheme which assists local authorities with the cost of installing chargepoints in residential streets including in local authority owned car parks. The funding available is for 75% of the capital costs of procuring and installing the chargepoint, and is administered by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). In October 2019, Secretary for State for Transport wrote to all local authorities encouraging them to send their strategies for infrastructure deployment and to take advantage of ORCS funding.

Last month we announced that Government funding will be doubled to £10 million for the installation of chargepoints on residential streets next year. This additional investment could fund up to another 3,600 chargepoints across the country.

21st Jan 2020
What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for International Trade on support for UK alcoholic beverage manufacturers to export their products.

The Government provides a wide range of support to alcohol manufacturers – through trade shows, hosting bespoke ‘meet the buyer’ events in the UK and abroad, raising the sector’s profile at global events and tackling market access barriers.

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State would be happy to raise this issue with my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade when they meet later today.

15th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate she has made of the number of businesses that went into administration as a result of the cashflows of those businesses being affected by outstanding invoices in the latest period for which such information is available.

The Insolvency Service publishes National Statistics on the total number of companies entering administration each calendar quarter at www.gov.uk and details of the circumstances leading to each administration must be provided by the administrator in the form of documents filed with Companies House.

The Government is completely focused on fulfilling its manifesto commitment to clamp down on late payments as part of its aim of making the UK the best place to work and grow a business. This includes strengthening the powers of the Small Business Commissioner to support small businesses that are exploited by their larger partners, strengthening the Prompt Payment Code, taking a tougher compliance approach with larger companies which includes greater transparency reporting requirements, and reviewing the role supply chain finance plays in prompt payment.

15th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress has been made in tackling the late payment of invoices by businesses.

The government is completely focussed on fulfilling our manifesto commitment to clamp down on late payment and strengthen the powers of the Small Business Commissioner to support small businesses that are exploited by their larger partners.

Good progress is being made on the policies announced in our Government Response to the 2018 Call for Evidence to assess what further steps and intervention may be needed to create a responsible payment culture, where we will be:

o consulting on the merits of strengthening the Commissioner’s existing powers, to assist and advocate for small businesses in the area of late payments;

o strengthening and reforming the Prompt Payment Code and moving its administration to the Small Business Commissioner;

o taking a tough compliance approach to large companies who do not comply with the Payment Practices Reporting Duty. We have sent over 2,000 ‘help and enforcement’ letters to non-complaint companies and over 1,000 more unique companies have since filed reports;

o reviewing role supply chain finance plays in prompt payment & greater transparency in companies reporting supply chain finance.

In October we launched a Business Basics Fund competition of up to £1 million, which will encourage SMEs to utilise payment technology and boost productivity in SMEs by reducing the time taken to chase payments. Winners will be announced in April.

In November, the Financial Reporting Council issued an open letter to company report preparers recommending payment practices are reported in annual reports.

31st Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the (a) number of vacancies and (b) level of skill shortages in (i) broadcast and print media, (ii) theatres, (iii) graphic design, (iv) tourism and (v) sport and leisure.

While DCMS does not have any estimates on the number of vacancies, the Department has published Experimental Official Statistics for skills shortages (%) in DCMS sectors and sub-sectors. These are for the year 2019, using data from the Employer Skills Survey, carried out by the Department for Education that covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The ESS is a biennial survey, which was delayed by a further year during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with 2022-23 data expected to be published later this year (also currently scheduled to include Scotland).

Skills shortage vacancies are defined as vacancies unfilled because applicants did not have the necessary skills. Two measures for skills shortages are published:

  • Percentage of vacancies that are unfilled due to skills shortages

  • Percentage of businesses with at least one skills shortage vacancy

The “Percentage of businesses with at least one skills shortage vacancy” estimates are impacted by the fact that some businesses will not have had a vacancy. Therefore the “% of businesses with at least one vacancy” figure was also published to help provide context.

Sector/subsector

% of vacancies unfilled due to skills shortages

% of businesses with at least one skills shortage vacancy

% of businesses with at least one vacancy

Audio Visual (i - Broadcast Media)

19.2

2.1

12.0

Publishing (excluding translation & interpretation activities) (i - Print Media)

10.9

3.2

11.4

Arts (ii)

10.1

2.3

12.7

Design and designer fashion (iii)

36.8

2.9

11.4

Tourism Industries (iv)

21.2

6.0

21.9

Sport (v)

30.1

4.4

17.2

Table 1 - Skills shortages in selected sectors. Estimates are not available directly measuring the areas requested. The sectors presented here have been provided as the closest to the requested sectors, for which DCMS have skills shortages data.

Source: DCMS Sectors Skills Shortages and Skills Gaps: 2019

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
18th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department will announce its policy on the future of School Games funding.

Sport and physical activity provide important physical and mental health benefits and also help to develop vital social connections and leadership skills that will set young people up for life.

The Government is committed to ensuring that children and young people can be physically active and to increase the chances for children to take part in competitive sport. The School Games form a key part of this.

In the academic year 2018/2019, 2.4 million opportunities were provided across inter- and intra-school level through the School Games across the country.

The Government confirmed that the School Games Organisers will continue for the 2022/23 academic year and is considering the position beyond that point.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to fund the School Games scheme after 31 August 2023.

Sport and physical activity provide important physical and mental health benefits and also help to develop vital social connections and leadership skills that will set young people up for life.

The Government is committed to ensuring that children and young people can be physically active and to increase the chances for children to take part in competitive sport. The School Games form a key part of this.

In the academic year 2018/2019, 2.4 million opportunities were provided across inter- and intra-school level through the School Games across the country.

The Government confirmed that the School Games Organisers will continue for the 2022/23 academic year and is considering the position beyond that point.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of clubs in the Vanarama National League and National League North and South which are unable to fulfill their fixtures; and whether he has had discussions with the National League on supporting those clubs.

Government has already facilitated a unique promotional deal with the National Lottery who provided a £10 million cash injection to the Vanarama National League and National League North and South in October 2020. Further support is available to clubs in these three divisions through the Sports Winter Survival Package: this will allow them to both survive and finish their seasons if they choose to do so. Sport England, as administrators of the Sport Winter Survival Package, are working with any club that wishes to access support through the scheme. I discussed the support package with the National League on 29 January 2021.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
26th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to put in place additional support for indoor tennis centres; and if he will make a statement.

Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support, which many sport clubs have benefited from. On 22 October 2020, the Government also announced a £100m support fund for local authority leisure centres. We have no plans to provide additional bespoke support for indoor tennis centres.

In addition, Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund has provided £220 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic. On 26 January Sport England also published their strategy ‘Uniting the Movement’ and as part of this have committed an extra £50million to help grassroots sports clubs and organisations affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

We are continuing to work with organisations to understand what they need and how we may be able to support them.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
21st Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the grant his Department provided to the Football Association to distribute to National League clubs was intended to replace gate receipts lost as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

As part of a promotional deal with the Football Association, the National Lottery provided £10m in funding for the 66 clubs in the National League. This initiative is in addition to the ongoing support the National Lottery provides to good causes through the National Lottery Distribution Fund. Funding has been allocated to clubs by the National League using an approach based broadly on past attendance. The National League will keep allocations under review and may amend them if any club suffers acute financial hardship.

The department does not hold records on the average attendance or gate receipts of National League clubs.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
21st Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria his Department used to determine the amount of money given to the Football Association to be distributed to clubs in the National League; and on what basis the National League will distribute that money.

As part of a promotional deal with the Football Association, the National Lottery provided £10m in funding for the 66 clubs in the National League. This initiative is in addition to the ongoing support the National Lottery provides to good causes through the National Lottery Distribution Fund. Funding has been allocated to clubs by the National League using an approach based broadly on past attendance. The National League will keep allocations under review and may amend them if any club suffers acute financial hardship.

The department does not hold records on the average attendance or gate receipts of National League clubs.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
21st Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the (a) average attendance and (b) annual gate receipts of each club in the (i) National League, (ii) National League North and (iii) National League South was in the (A) 2018-19 and (B) 2019-20 season; and how much the Government's monthly grant in October 2020 was for each of those clubs.

As part of a promotional deal with the Football Association, the National Lottery provided £10m in funding for the 66 clubs in the National League. This initiative is in addition to the ongoing support the National Lottery provides to good causes through the National Lottery Distribution Fund. Funding has been allocated to clubs by the National League using an approach based broadly on past attendance. The National League will keep allocations under review and may amend them if any club suffers acute financial hardship.

The department does not hold records on the average attendance or gate receipts of National League clubs.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
22nd Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department issues guidance for schools on maintaining safe CO2 levels in classrooms.

The department has published ‘Building Bulletin 101’, which provides non-statutory guidance on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings.

The department has also produced guidance on using CO2 monitors and managing ventilation, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-co-monitors-and-air-cleaning-units-in-education-and-care-settings.

Further guidance on ventilation is included in the ‘Good Estate Management for Schools guide’, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools/health-and-safety.

Damian Hinds
Minister of State (Education)
8th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children at (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Derbyshire have Education, Health and Care plans; and how many such children are receiving education in line with the plan.

The department does not hold the data requested. The department does publish data online in relation to special educational needs (SEN), including:

The local authority can provide further information on children with SEN in Derbyshire.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
8th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school students have been identified as requiring Special Education school provision outside mainstream schools in Derbyshire; and how many such children attend specialist schools.

The department does not hold the data requested. The department does publish data online in relation to special educational needs (SEN), including:

The local authority can provide further information on children with SEN in Derbyshire.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
10th Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the ring-fenced apprenticeship budget has been allocated to apprenticeship funding for non-levy paying employers in each financial year since 2017-18.

The UK government, via His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, collects an apprenticeship levy of 0.5% on total payroll from businesses across the UK with an annual payroll expenditure of more than £3 million. The amount raised by the apprenticeship levy is available in this publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk.

From this, His Majesty’s Treasury sets an English apprenticeships budget for the department, and the devolved administrations receive a share of the funding calculated using the Barnett formula.

The apprenticeships budget in England is used to fund the training and assessment of new apprenticeship starts for all employers of all sizes, both those who pay the levy and those who do not. The budget is also used to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers, providers and apprentices. Apprenticeships are employer led, and the department does not allocate a specific percentage of the budget to either levy paying or non-levy paying employers.

The table below shows the total apprenticeship budget and spend in England in the last five financial years, with spend broken down by levy payers and non-levy payers. It also includes the budget for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. In addition, the table reflects the spend on apprenticeships that started prior to the introduction of the levy, and the department’s spend on the operation of the wider apprenticeship system, such as the cost of running digital services, marketing and communications campaigns.

Financial Year

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

Apprenticeship budget £m

2,010

2,231

2,469

2,467

2,466

2,554

2,585

Levy spend

268

864

1,156

1,251

1,592

-

-

Non-levy spend

189

528

650

557

817

-

-

Spend on apprenticeships started
prior to the introduction of the levy

1,086

305

65

22

7

-

-

Wider apprenticeship
system spend

43

41

48

33

39

-

-

Total spend

1,586

1,738

1,919

1,863

2,455

-

-

Robert Halfon
Minister of State (Education)
10th Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much the ring-fenced apprenticeship budget was in each year since 2017-18; and what proportion was raised by the Apprenticeship Levy in each of those years.

The UK government, via His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, collects an apprenticeship levy of 0.5% on total payroll from businesses across the UK with an annual payroll expenditure of more than £3 million. The amount raised by the apprenticeship levy is available in this publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk.

From this, His Majesty’s Treasury sets an English apprenticeships budget for the department, and the devolved administrations receive a share of the funding calculated using the Barnett formula.

The apprenticeships budget in England is used to fund the training and assessment of new apprenticeship starts for all employers of all sizes, both those who pay the levy and those who do not. The budget is also used to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers, providers and apprentices. Apprenticeships are employer led, and the department does not allocate a specific percentage of the budget to either levy paying or non-levy paying employers.

The table below shows the total apprenticeship budget and spend in England in the last five financial years, with spend broken down by levy payers and non-levy payers. It also includes the budget for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. In addition, the table reflects the spend on apprenticeships that started prior to the introduction of the levy, and the department’s spend on the operation of the wider apprenticeship system, such as the cost of running digital services, marketing and communications campaigns.

Financial Year

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

Apprenticeship budget £m

2,010

2,231

2,469

2,467

2,466

2,554

2,585

Levy spend

268

864

1,156

1,251

1,592

-

-

Non-levy spend

189

528

650

557

817

-

-

Spend on apprenticeships started
prior to the introduction of the levy

1,086

305

65

22

7

-

-

Wider apprenticeship
system spend

43

41

48

33

39

-

-

Total spend

1,586

1,738

1,919

1,863

2,455

-

-

Robert Halfon
Minister of State (Education)
10th Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much from the public purse her Department ringfenced for the apprenticeship budget for England in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.

The UK government, via His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, collects an apprenticeship levy of 0.5% on total payroll from businesses across the UK with an annual payroll expenditure of more than £3 million. The amount raised by the apprenticeship levy is available in this publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk.

From this, His Majesty’s Treasury sets an English apprenticeships budget for the department, and the devolved administrations receive a share of the funding calculated using the Barnett formula.

The apprenticeships budget in England is used to fund the training and assessment of new apprenticeship starts for all employers of all sizes, both those who pay the levy and those who do not. The budget is also used to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers, providers and apprentices. Apprenticeships are employer led, and the department does not allocate a specific percentage of the budget to either levy paying or non-levy paying employers.

The table below shows the total apprenticeship budget and spend in England in the last five financial years, with spend broken down by levy payers and non-levy payers. It also includes the budget for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. In addition, the table reflects the spend on apprenticeships that started prior to the introduction of the levy, and the department’s spend on the operation of the wider apprenticeship system, such as the cost of running digital services, marketing and communications campaigns.

Financial Year

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

Apprenticeship budget £m

2,010

2,231

2,469

2,467

2,466

2,554

2,585

Levy spend

268

864

1,156

1,251

1,592

-

-

Non-levy spend

189

528

650

557

817

-

-

Spend on apprenticeships started
prior to the introduction of the levy

1,086

305

65

22

7

-

-

Wider apprenticeship
system spend

43

41

48

33

39

-

-

Total spend

1,586

1,738

1,919

1,863

2,455

-

-

Robert Halfon
Minister of State (Education)
24th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received about the adequacy of the key stage two English reading test that was taken on 10 May 2023.

​The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for the development and delivery of national curriculum tests and assessments. Its work on National Curriculum assessments is regulated by Ofqual.

The STA works independently on test materials. Ministers have no involvement in test development or in the selection of the content of the test. Ministers do not have access to the test materials until they are published after the end of the timetable variation window, which is five school days after the scheduled test date. Ministers likewise are not involved in the standards maintenance process which determines the threshold for the expected standard each year.

The STA has met with stakeholders, including teacher and school leader unions and headteachers, to understand their views on the end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests this year, and are responding to correspondence from schools, parents and other individuals regarding the tests.

The STA will continue to engage with schools, unions, and other stakeholders to understand their views on the papers this year, and in regard to all aspects of primary assessment.

11th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department had taken steps to increase the difficulty of the Year 6 National Reading Tests on 10 May 2023; and what changes had been made to the previous years' tests.

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) is an executive agency of the Department. STA is responsible for the development and delivery of National Curriculum tests and assessments.

STA works independently on the test materials, which remain confidential until all pupils have taken the test. This may be up to five school days after the scheduled date of the test, as schools are permitted to vary the timetable in some circumstances.

Ministers do not have any influence on test content or challenge. In constructing the tests, STA follows the criteria set out in the National Curriculum test frameworks, which are available at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum-assessments-test-frameworks.

There has been no change to the specification for the content, structure, format, or difficulty of the National Curriculum tests for 2023.

26th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2022 to Question 59062 on T-levels: Expenditure, what the actual total spend was on the T Level Programme between the financial years 2017-18 and 2022-23.

I refer the hon. Member for Chesterfield to the answer of 19 April 2023 to Question 180516.

Robert Halfon
Minister of State (Education)
18th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of (a) all apprenticeship courses started and (b) the amount apprenticeship levy spent were for (i) Level 6 and (ii) Level 7 apprenticeships in each year since 2016.

Degree-level apprenticeships provide people with high-quality training, and are important in supporting productivity, social mobility, and widening participation in higher education and employment. There are now 159 standards at degree level (Level 6 and 7), including Doctor, Construction Quantity Surveyor and Midwife. The department is providing an additional £40 million in Strategic Priorities Grant funding over the next two years to support degree apprenticeship providers in expanding and helping more people access this provision, on top of our £8 million investment in the 2022/23 financial year.

We have seen year-on-year growth of degree-level apprenticeships with almost 180,000 starts since their introduction in the 2014/15 academic year. Starts at levels 6 and 7 now represent 16.2% of all starts (33,180) so far this year (Aug-Jan), and volumes are up by 12% when compared to the same period in 2021/22 (29,580).

The table below shows the proportion of apprenticeship starts at Level 6 and Level 7 in each academic year since 2016/17.

Apprenticeships starts (%) by academic year

Level 6

Level 7

2016/17

0.3%

0.0%

2017/18

1.7%

1.2%

2018/19

2.8%

3.0%

2019/20

4.7%

4.8%

2020/21

6.1%

6.1%

2021/22

6.7%

5.6%

The table below shows the apprenticeships spend on Levels 6 and 7, rounded to the nearest £ million. This is the total spend for apprenticeships at Levels 6 and 7 by both levy-paying and non-levy paying employers and includes apprenticeships started in previous years.

Overall spend on Level 6 and 7 apprenticeships, by academic year (£ million)

Level 6

Level 7

2016/17

12

0

2017/18

33

11

2018/19

78

57

2019/20

133

118

2020/21

203

186

2021/22

290

216

Robert Halfon
Minister of State (Education)
14th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2022 to Question 59062, on T-levels: Expenditure, what the total cost to the public purse has been for T levels in each financial year since 2017-18; and what the forecast spend is for each of the next three financial years.

T Levels are important new programmes for young people, designed in partnership with employers to prepare students for entry into skilled employment, an apprenticeship, or related technical study through further or higher education. Funding has been used to develop T Levels and grow the capacity to deliver them effectively.

The information given in the previous response was taken from the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio data and relates to the baselined Whole Life Costs (WLC), rather than spend, at £918.5 million, and is not split by financial year. The total includes supporting teachers to deliver them effectively. Of this total, approximately £400 million capital funding has been provided to colleges and other providers for the first four waves of T Level delivery, starting in September 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 to improve the quality of facilities and equipment that will be used to deliver T Levels.

Forecast data for T Level spend is dependent upon the number of young people who decide to take up a T Level, and the size of future T Levels depends on factors including the qualification specification, which in some cases is still being developed. An accurate forecast for the next 3 financial years is therefore not available.

Robert Halfon
Minister of State (Education)
28th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact the new Level 3 Alternative Academic Qualifications have had on T-Level student numbers in the engineering and manufacturing sector.

The department is unable to make an assessment about the potential impact that level 3 Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs) are having on students studying T Levels in engineering and manufacturing, as they are still in development and will not be available for teaching until 2025.

AAQs will be required to meet criteria that ensure they support progression to higher education.

Small AAQs will be available for funding in a wide range of subjects, including science, engineering, health and social care, IT, art and design, performing arts, creative digital media, and sport.

The department will evaluate the impact of level 3 AAQs as part of the delivery of the qualifications reforms.

Robert Halfon
Minister of State (Education)
28th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason there was a £0.4 billion decrease in Education Capital DEL spending plans for financial year 2022-23 in the Spring Budget 2023 when compared to the figures in the 2022 Autumn Statement.

The Government’s spending on the education estate is unchanged after the Spring Budget, presented to Parliament on 15 March 2023.

The change in budgetary control totals between the 2022 Autumn Statement and the 2023 Spring Budget, is a technical adjustment which reflects forecasts for how the academies sector will spend grants given by the Government, but it does not change the amount made available to the sector.

Academies have some autonomy to decide how and when to spend funding allocated to them. The lower spend in the 2022/23 financial year is due to academies planning more substantial long term works which cross financial years.