Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has been made of the effect on the productivity of the economy of the decision to close the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and the associated Skills Sector Councils.

The remit and priorities of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) were to:

• lead the debate with industry to drive better outcomes for skills, jobs and growth;
• work with industrial partnerships and wider networks to push forward employer ownership of skills;
• test out employer-led innovation to address persistent skills challenges; and
• help businesses realise the potential of their people through Investors in People (IIP).

While these activities helped to raise awareness of the importance of skills development, which is a driver of productivity, no specific assessment has been made of any effect on UK productivity as a result of the decision to close the UKCES and the associated Sector Skills Councils.

As a result of these decisions, Whitehall departments have been working with the UK Commission to agree a way forward.

National Occupational Standards (NOS) will be managed by the Devolved Administrations and transferred to another public sector organisation. Decisions on the detail of how NOS will be managed are the responsibility of the Devolved Administrations. The contents of the NOS database will remain publicly available and employers throughout the UK can continue to use NOS if they so choose although they are not a mandatory requirement in England for either qualifications or apprenticeships.

The management of the Employer Skills Survey, the Employer Perspectives Survey and the Labour Market Information for All Portal is being moved into the Department for Education. The Investors in People function will continue and the Government is looking to secure its future.