Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a comparative assessment of difficulties in recruitment to each of the armed forces.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The current level of Armed Forces recruitment is lower than we would wish, a challenge we face in common with our allies. Each of the single Services within the UK Armed Forces face the same difficulties in what is a particularly challenging and competitive recruitment environment. Defence and the single Services are working together to address these challenges collectively through a range of initiatives.
A number of short-term deliverables are being actioned to increasing the inflow into Armed Forces pipelines, all intended to increase the breadth of potential candidates and to drive efficiencies into recruitment systems. These ongoing and new initiatives are focused upon engaging the broad range of skills, experience and diversity needed to deliver that which our nation demands of our Armed Forces; and in the range of roles that are critical to enable this.
In June 2023 we committed to implementing the recommendations of the Haythornthwaite Review, a generational independent review of how we retain our current people and attract new ones. Its recommendations relate to policies and processes across a complex system of incentivisation and support. A formal Government Response, which will provide more detail on our approach to tackling each recommendation, will be published in early 2024. This will confirm which recommendations have been - or are in the process of being – delivered.
Other initiatives aimed at improving the recruitment and retention of our people include; Flexible Service, which introduces the potential for people to alter their career commitment for set periods of time, allowing more people to remain in the Armed Forces who may otherwise have decided to leave in order to meet competing demands and responsibilities; Wraparound Childcare, which Defence established in recognition of the importance of a robust childcare support system to enable the mobility, recruitment and retention of a Armed Forces personnel; acceptance of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body’s and Senior Salaries Review Body’s recommendations in full, ensuring that the overall remuneration package for Service personnel (which includes a good pension, subsidised accommodation, and a range of allowances on top of basic salary) remains competitive.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that students from the UK have access to places at UK universities.
Answered by Robert Halfon
This government is focused on levelling up opportunities so that every young person, regardless of their background or geographic location, can get the skills and training needed to secure rewarding, well-paid jobs. The department wants to ensure people have the opportunities that will open doors and create the talent pipeline that our country needs to prosper now and in the future.
In 2021/22, Higher Education Statistics Agency data shows that UK students accounted for 85% of all undergraduate entrants to UK universities.
A disadvantaged English domiciled 18-year-old is now 74% more likely to enter higher education (HE) than they were in 2010, and the department is working to further close the disadvantage gap with our Access and Participation reforms. HE providers registered with the Office for Students that intend to charge tuition fees above the basic amount are rewriting their access and participation plans to focus on raising attainment in school pupils. This will help ensure pupils have more options for post-18 study and that they are better equipped to choose the path that is right for them from higher technical qualifications and apprenticeships as well as degrees. Providers should have revised plans in place for September 2025, with the first wave being ready for September 2024.
The government is committed to a sustainable funding model that supports high-quality provision, meets the skills needs of the country and maintains the world-class reputation of UK HE. The department has frozen maximum tuition fees for the 2024/25 academic year to deliver better value for students and to keep the cost of HE under control. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years.
The government has also continued to increase maximum loans and grants for living and other costs each year. Maximum support has been increased by 2.8% for the current, 2023/24, academic year.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recruitment and retention figures for the armed forces in year 2022–23; and what steps they are taking to reverse any negative trends.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In 2022-23, Armed Forces recruitment was lower than we would have hoped given a difficult recruiting environment, and outflow was higher than planned. Nevertheless, the Armed Forces continue to meet all their operational commitments.
To address recruitment, a range of tangible short-term deliverables are being actioned to increasing the inflow into Armed Forces recruitment pipelines, all intended to increase the breadth of potential candidates and to drive efficiencies into recruitment systems. These ongoing and new initiatives are focused upon engaging the broad range of skills, experience and diversity needed to deliver that which our nation demands of our Armed Forces; and in the range of roles that are critical to enable this.
On retention, in June 2023 we committed to implementing the recommendations of the Haythornthwaite Review, a generational independent review of how we retain our current people and attract new ones. Its recommendations relate to policies and processes across a complex system of incentivisation and support. A formal Government Response, which will provide more detail on our approach to tackling each recommendation, will be published in early 2024. This will confirm which recommendations have been - or are in the process of being – delivered.
Other initiatives aimed at improving the recruitment and retention of our people include; Flexible Service, which introduces the potential for people to alter their career commitment for set periods of time, allowing more people to remain in the Armed Forces who may otherwise have decided to leave in order to meet competing demands and responsibilities; Wraparound Childcare, which Defence established in recognition of the importance of a robust childcare support system to enable the mobility, recruitment and retention of a Armed Forces personnel; acceptance of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body’s and Senior Salaries Review Body’s recommendations in full, ensuring that the overall remuneration package for Service personnel (which includes a good pension, subsidised accommodation, and a range of allowances on top of basic salary) remains competitive.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of (a) recruitment and (b) retention in the armed forces.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The current level of Armed Forces recruitment and retention is lower than we would wish, a challenge we face in common with our allies. Nevertheless, the Armed Forces continue to meet all their operational commitments.
To address recruitment, a range of tangible short-term deliverables are being actioned to increasing the inflow into Armed Forces recruitment pipelines, all intended to increase the breadth of potential candidates and to drive efficiencies into recruitment systems. These ongoing and new initiatives are focused upon engaging the broad range of skills, experience and diversity needed to deliver that which our nation demands of our Armed Forces; and in the range of roles that are critical to enable this.
On retention, in June 2023 we committed to implementing the recommendations of the Haythornthwaite Review, a generational independent review of how we retain our current people and attract new ones. Its recommendations relate to policies and processes across a complex system of incentivisation and support. A formal Government Response, which will provide more detail on our approach to tackling each recommendation, will be published in early 2024. This will confirm which recommendations have been - or are in the process of being – delivered.
Other initiatives aimed at improving the recruitment and retention of our people include; Flexible Service, which introduces the potential for people to alter their career commitment for set periods of time, allowing more people to remain in the Armed Forces who may otherwise have decided to leave in order to meet competing demands and responsibilities; Wraparound Childcare, which Defence established in recognition of the importance of a robust childcare support system to enable the mobility, recruitment and retention of a Armed Forces personnel; acceptance of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body’s and Senior Salaries Review Body’s recommendations in full, ensuring that the overall remuneration package for Service personnel (which includes a good pension, subsidised accommodation, and a range of allowances on top of basic salary) remains competitive.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing accredited STEM education for new armed forces recruits under the age of 18.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Defence makes significant investment in STEM-accredited opportunities for our people, including to the under-18 cohort, because we believe that this will enable us to create high-performing and technologically astute personnel with the skills and agility required for a modernised Armed Forces. We also recognise that by investing wholeheartedly in our recruits and apprentices, who come from all walks of life, the Armed Forces are an engine for social mobility and productivity for the nation.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy offers a well-developed STEM route for 16- to 18-year-olds which, irrespective of their prior qualifications, can lead to a fully funded degree within their career. All engineer pathways start with a Level 2 or 3 apprenticeship aligned to the future role and will include maths and English teaching as required. Alongside the nationally accredited engineering opportunities, which also count toward chartered status with the Institute of Engineering and Technology, they will be able to achieve broadening qualifications in areas such as leadership and management.
Army
The Army invests significantly in skills, education and training, including skills-enhancing learning and development pathways for all, including our under-18 cohort. The Army’s Foundation College at Harrogate offers opportunity for under-18s to study for STEM accredited education through study towards maths Level 2 qualifications and up to Level 3 qualification in Information and Communication Technology. As the UK’s top apprenticeship employer for the third year running, and the largest employer of apprenticeships in England, the Army provides further opportunity for under-18s on entry to their Initial Trade Training – including STEM. The Army has over 15,500 soldier-apprentices on programme at any one time and opportunities in most trade sectors including engineering, manufacturing, logistics and construction.
Royal Air Force (RAF)
The RAF has only a very small number of under-18 recruits who undergo Phase 1 training (conducted at RAF Halton). The Aviator Training Academy (AvTA) at RAF Halton does not deliver any bespoke STEM training to under-18s on the Basic Recruit Training Course as there are no training objectives related directly to STEM. The AvTA does, however, deliver Level 1 and Level 2 maths after basic recruit training to those that need it. Those recruits who are under 18 and progress onto Phase 2 training within the RAF Engineering Profession, will by its very nature receive significant exposure to STEM. The RAF recognises this and awards all recruits that successfully complete their profession training with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they collect data on the reading ages of new army recruits under the age of 18; and if so, what those data indicate.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Army does not collect data and centrally record the reading ages of all new Army recruits under the age of 18.
It does collect the scores of the ‘Functional Skills Literacy Assessment’ which show the following for all under-18 recruits in Recruiting Year 2022-23:[1]
FS Score | Percentage of U18 recruits 2022-23 |
Entry Level 2 | 8% |
Entry Level 3 | 27% |
Exempt | 27% |
Level 1 | 25% |
Level 2 | 13% |
These Functional Skills levels are based on the 2011 Skills for Life Survey: A
Survey of Literacy, Numeracy and ICT Levels in England: 2011 Skills for Life Survey: A Survey of Literacy, Numeracy and ICT Levels in England (publishing.service.gov.uk).
The majority of under-18 recruits complete Basic Training at the Army Foundation College (Harrogate) where 100% leave with a GCSE equivalent in English.
[1] Recruiting year runs from April - March
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve rates of adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy.
Answered by Robert Halfon
This government is committed to supporting people to climb the ladder of opportunity towards better jobs, better wellbeing and better options for the future.
To enable this, the department recognises the importance of literacy and numeracy skills, both in work and everyday life. Securing good levels of literacy and numeracy increases individual productivity, improves earnings and employment opportunities, supports economic growth and breaks cycles of intergenerational economic and social disadvantage. That is why the department is continuing to support participation in English and maths provision through our ‘essential skills entitlements’ which provide the opportunity of free study for adults who do not have essential literacy and numeracy skills up to and including level 2.
Learners can undertake a range of courses fully funded through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), including GCSEs, Functional Skills and other relevant qualifications from entry level to level 2.
The department also supports training for adults in community settings through the AEB. Prioritised for disadvantaged learners, community learning can provide a 'stepping stone' for those adults who are not ready for formal accredited learning, or who would benefit from learning in a more informal way.
The department is also delivering Multiply, the government’s programme for improving adult numeracy, funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the government’s flagship fund for supporting people and places across the UK. Up to £270 million is directly available for local areas in England to deliver innovative interventions to improve adult numeracy.
The free courses for jobs offer, which was launched in April 2021, gives eligible adults the chance to access high value level 3 qualification for free, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job. The offer includes a number of qualifications in maths, for example a level 3 Certificate in Mathematical Studies.
In addition, Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills, with an offer of a job interview with an employer on completion. Skills Bootcamps are available in a variety of skill areas, including digital, technical, construction, logistics (HGV driving), and skills that support the green economy.
The department is scaling up Skills Bootcamps delivery to 64,000 starts by the 2024/25 financial year through national procurement and grant funding to 28 Mayoral Combined Authorities and local areas.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the education services provided in prisons.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
On 28 September, we announced the new Prisoner Education Service to improve the literacy, numeracy and vocational skills of prisoners. This will support positive employment outcomes and reduce reoffending, and we have already seen the number of prisoners in work following release more than doubling between 2021 and 2023.
We have rigorous assessments of the quality and effectiveness of the education offer in prisons. These include: tracking employment on release, attendance of prisoners in education sessions as well as provider performance.
The Prison Service is continuing to forge a closer working relationship with Ofsted, who have been delivering education sessions to prison leaders to ensure greater collaboration and clear expectations for prison education. This includes tracking OFSTED recommendations to ensure sites make progress against them. In the past 6 months 4 prisons have received a ‘Good’ rating from OFSTED, the most in any single year since 2015.
All prisoners are assessed on entry, and a personal learning plan is created to meet their educational needs. This is now electronically stored so that it can move with prisoners when transferred. Prisoners who require basic maths and literacy skills are identified and offered the appropriate support.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to improve children's oracy skills in Selby and Ainsty constituency.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department recognises the importance of oracy, which is why spoken language is already part of the National Curriculum for English for 5 to 16 year olds. For Early Years, the Department is investing up to £17 million in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, improving the language skills of reception age pupils who need it most following the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Department has secured over £28 million to support the speech and language of pupils worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which are today’s 3 and 4 year olds, delivered through the new family hubs network.
In secondary schools, the GCSE English Language qualification ensures that pupils are able to listen to and understand spoken language and use spoken Standard English effectively. Provisional 2023 data published by Ofqual shows that overall entries to GCSE English Language increased by 4.9% since summer 2022. The data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/provisional-entries-for-gcse-as-and-a-level-summer-2023-exam-series/provisional-entries-for-gcse-as-and-a-level-summer-2023-exam-series#gcse-entries.
The Department funds the National Poetry Recitation Competition, which encourages both primary and secondary schools to participate, to improve pupils’ knowledge and enjoyment of poetry and to improve oracy through poetry recitation and recall.
The £67 million English Hubs Programme, launched in 2018, is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. Since its launch, the English Hubs Programme has provided appropriate and targeted support to several thousand schools in England.
Selby and Ainsty's local English Hub, Outwood English hub, is working to engage and support primary schools across the region to improve the teaching of phonics, including offering showcase events especially for local schools. Outwood English Hub is planning to host a showcase at the Parsonage Hotel and Spa in Escrick later in the Autumn term.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Thomson Reuters Future of Professionals Report: How AI is the Catalyst for Transforming Every Aspect of Work, published in August; and in particular the finding that "just under 90 per cent of professionals expect basic mandatory AI training for all professionals over the next five years".
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Thompson Reuter’s Report shares findings for why AI will create new opportunities in the professional sector, and how government, industry and individuals will need to continue to adapt as technology advances. Government is already working to address the skills gap by educating and enabling individuals and businesses to proactively upskill.
We have invested £290M in a broad package of AI skills initiatives to address the skills gap, support citizens and businesses to take advantage of AI technologies, and drive economic growth. Our £30M AI and Data Science Conversion Course programme was established to address the lack of diversity and supply of talent in the UK AI labour market, by funding universities to develop masters level AI or data science courses suitable for non-STEM students. The programme provides up to 3000 scholarships for students from backgrounds currently underrepresented in the tech industry.
We recognise that as the uses of AI develop, so will people’s need to understand and apply AI in their jobs. We are working with experts from the AI and skills ecosystem to develop guidance that will enable businesses to recognise relevant AI skills and invest in training their employees. We expect a first draft of the guidance to be published this autumn.
Overall, this government has an ambitious skills agenda to ensure skills training is employer focused - backed by £3.8 billion of investment over this parliament. However, public and industry collaboration will be key to unlocking AI’s full potential for the UK economy. Employers can support our efforts by investing more in training and making use of government skills programmes that provide high quality training to current and future employees.