Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are their reasons for scrapping plans to introduce T-levels in hairdressing and barbering.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The decision to no longer introduce a combined T Level in Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy was taken following discussions with employers and representatives of the hair and beauty sector. The feedback the department has had from the hair sector representatives has led the department to the conclusion that the best route is for learners to progress into their industry through completion of an existing level 2 or level 3 apprenticeship or a level 2 classroom-based qualification.
The beauty sector has fed back that a good quality level 3 classroom-based progression route is desirable. Therefore, the department has decided to explore introducing a T Level which focuses on the beauty sector, with the expectation that this could be introduced after 2025. The department will update stakeholders in due course following scoping work and engagement with the beauty sector and T Level providers.
Payment of the development charge made to the Awarding Organisation to date is £450,990 (excluding VAT). This is for the development of the originally scoped Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy T Level. The department anticipates that a substantial proportion of that content will remain relevant in any future T Level focussed on beauty.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish proposals for a beauty therapy qualification.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The decision to no longer introduce a combined T Level in Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy was taken following discussions with employers and representatives of the hair and beauty sector. The feedback the department has had from the hair sector representatives has led the department to the conclusion that the best route is for learners to progress into their industry through completion of an existing level 2 or level 3 apprenticeship or a level 2 classroom-based qualification.
The beauty sector has fed back that a good quality level 3 classroom-based progression route is desirable. Therefore, the department has decided to explore introducing a T Level which focuses on the beauty sector, with the expectation that this could be introduced after 2025. The department will update stakeholders in due course following scoping work and engagement with the beauty sector and T Level providers.
Payment of the development charge made to the Awarding Organisation to date is £450,990 (excluding VAT). This is for the development of the originally scoped Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy T Level. The department anticipates that a substantial proportion of that content will remain relevant in any future T Level focussed on beauty.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis has been carried out of the impact of proposals to extend Permitted Development Rights in National Parks and other Protected Landscapes for the conversion of barns and other rural buildings to residential use, including analysis of whether this would conflict with the statutory purposes to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has consulted on proposals to extend permitted development rights to support housing delivery and the agricultural sector. This includes proposals to extend permitted development rights to allow farmers to convert agricultural buildings like barns to houses in national parks and other protected landscapes. We are currently analysing responses to this consultation, which closed on 25 September 2023. This includes consideration of whether this PDR extension would conflict with the statutory purposes of protected landscapes.
National Parks and National Landscapes represent our shared heritage and support our nation’s health and wellbeing. They are also crucial to delivering our commitments to tackle climate change and restore nature. To support them in this role we introduced measures in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 placing a stronger requirement on partners to deliver on the statutory purposes of these areas.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps she has taken to support the hairdressing, barbering, and beauty sector.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Chancellor announced in the 2023 Autumn Statement business rates support worth £4.3 billion over the next 5 years, including an extension of the 75 per cent relief for retail properties – a £2.4bn tax cut building on the previous £3.7 billion worth of business rates relief and nearly £8 billion of energy support in 2021 and 2022, along with £16bn business rates support throughout Covid-19. We’re also working with the British Beauty Council and others on improving the sector's talent pipeline.
Overall, the sector is growing. The number of businesses in the sector in 2023 are 17% above 2017 levels[1], while output increased 1.1% in 2022 compared with 2021.[2]
[1] ONS - UK business: activity, size and location, 2023. Statistics relate to SIC 9602.
[2] ONS - GDP output approach – low-level aggregates, December 2023.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring greater protection to landscapes with a distinct literary (a) heritage and (b) value in planning policy.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out that planning policies and decisions should recognise the character and beauty of the countryside, and local authorities are expected to protect heritage assets which can include landscape and setting of listed buildings.
Substantial harm to, or loss of, the significance of designated heritage assets of the highest significance – including World Heritage Sites – should be wholly exceptional. A notable example of protected landscape is the Lake District, inscribed as a World Heritage Site for its rich cultural landscape in recognition of its importance to Wordsworth.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing VAT to 10% in the hair and beauty sector.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services, including in the hair and beauty sector. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited by both legal and fiscal considerations.
The government recognises that accounting for VAT can be a burden on small businesses, particularly in sectors such as hair and beauty which involve selling directly to the final consumer. This is why, at £85,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU Member State and the second highest in the OECD. This keeps the majority of UK businesses out of VAT altogether.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) hairdressing and (b) barber salons there are.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
ONS data[1] shows that the number of business premises in the hairdressing and beauty sector totalled 50,485 in 2023. This is an increase of 1.8% compared with 2022 and 17.4% above 2017 levels.
Additional data from the Local Data Company[2] shows that the number of hairdressers fell by 425 in September 2023 compared with a year earlier, while the number of barbers increased by 815.
[1] ONS – UK business activity, size and location – 2023. Data relates to SIC 9602.
[2] https://britishbeautycouncil.com/british-beauty-council-ldc-new-report/
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 recent progress her Department has made on introducing T Levels in (a) hair, beauty and aesthetics, (b) craft and design, (c) media broadcast and production and (d) catering.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department, working closely with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), has been making progress on the four T Levels deferred in 2023.
T Levels in ‘Craft and Design’, and ‘Media, Broadcast and Production’ will be available from this September and providers will receive final specifications in order to prepare for their delivery in due course.
On ‘Hair, Barbering and Beauty Therapy’ and ‘Catering’, the department has continued to engage closely with employers. Next steps for the ‘Hair, Barbering and Beauty Therapy’ route will be announced shortly. For ‘Catering’, IfATE have completed a wider route review of Catering and will be engaging with employers and providers over the coming weeks. The department we will finalise arrangements for this T Level before the summer.
The department has also been ensuring progress is made with regard to T Levels in ‘Animal Care and Management’ and ‘Marketing’, with both proceeding on schedule for delivery in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's consultation on Permitted development rights, which closed on 25 September 2023, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of extending permitted development rights in (a) national parks and (b) other protected landscapes to allow the conversion of (i) barns and (ii) other rural buildings for residential use on the ability of national park authorities to support the statutory purpose of national parks to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We are currently considering the responses received to the consultation, including from stakeholders representing National Parks and other protected areas, and will make further announcements in due course.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps in his Department's forthcoming national deer management strategy to help ensure the adequacy of (a) capacity to process deer carcasses if culling levels increase and (b) the supply of venison to the (i) private and (ii) public sector in the next five years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is working with stakeholders including Grown in Britain, game dealers and shooting and conservation associations to support development of the wild venison supply chain.
This includes facilitating an industry GB Wild Venison Working Group to improve sector resilience, develop branding, traceability and promote the British Quality Wild Venison Standard and exploring opportunities for more public procurement of wild venison, with the aim of increasing overall demand for wild venison. We are also providing funding towards wild venison related projects in a number of our National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, through the Farming in Protected Landscapes scheme.
The forthcoming deer management strategy will set out actions that will go further in supporting domestic wild venison.