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  • Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to respond to the Independent review of consumer protection measures concerning online secondary ticketing facilities, published on 26 May 2016; and if he will present his response in a format similar to that of a government response to a select committee report.

    Nick Boles

    The Government will publish its response to Professor Waterson’s independent review in due course.

  • Karin Smyth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Karin Smyth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the higher education entry rate data, published in December 2015, what steps his Department is taking to increase the rate of entry to university from young people in (a) Bristol South constituency and (b) other areas that have a low rate of university entry.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone with the potential has the opportunity to benefit from higher education, irrespective of their background.

    In the last academic year we saw record entry rates to higher education, including among those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

    Since 2010, we have established a stronger framework, with increased responsibility placed on higher education institutions to widen participation. The Director of Fair Access has agreed 183 Access Agreements for 2016/17 containing an estimated £745m to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds – up from £404m in 2009/10.

    In addition, we will take steps through the Higher Education and Research Bill to widen access and participation further. This will include strengthening the system of access agreements, and introducing new transparency duties on higher education institutions. We have also asked Universities UK to form a Social Mobility Advisory Group to set out what further steps the higher education sector itself can take to promote social mobility.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what links firms bidding to run the Land Registry have to offshore tax havens.

    Anna Soubry

    A government consultation seeking views on options to move operations of Land Registry to the private sector closed on 26 May. Government is currently analysing the responses but no final decisions have been made. We have not received any bids.

  • David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that increases in the number of foreign, high-fee-paying students does not jeopardise access by UK students to places at their local university.

    Joseph Johnson

    International students are not in competition for places with British students. The UK is the second most popular destination for international students, and those coming here to study count towards our education exports. International students pay fees to fund their places, and also bring other benefits including providing diversity on our campuses.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will hold discussions with major high street retailers on increasing their involvement in local chamber of trade organisations in market towns.

    Anna Soubry

    The Future High Street Forum, a joint partnership between government and the retail, leisure and property industries, includes major high street retailers and Gloucester First – the Retail Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The Forum supports town centres, including market towns, in meeting the changing needs of today’s consumer. The Forum leads a range of work, including a local partnerships work stream.

    LEPs define and champion their area’s offer, driving local economic growth through agreed local priorities set out in their Strategic Economic Plan.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will hold discussions with major high street retailers on increasing their involvement in local enterprise partnerships.

    Anna Soubry

    The Future High Street Forum, a joint partnership between government and the retail, leisure and property industries, includes major high street retailers and Gloucester First – the Retail Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The Forum supports town centres, including market towns, in meeting the changing needs of today’s consumer. The Forum leads a range of work, including a local partnerships work stream.

    LEPs define and champion their area’s offer, driving local economic growth through agreed local priorities set out in their Strategic Economic Plan.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his Department’s budget allocation was for reducing the number of young people who were classified as not in employment, education or training in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2015-16.

    Nick Boles

    Young and unemployed people are prioritised in the skills funding system through entitlements to free training, as well as specific programmes and initiatives, such as Traineeships and the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers. The Adult Education Budget is not ring-fenced for any provision and providers have the freedom and flexibility to put on provision to meet the needs of learners and local labour markets.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to support third-sector training providers and local authorities in reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training.

    Nick Boles

    Third sector providers and local authority adult education services access the Adult Education Budget as prime and sub-contractors, using the funding for training which helps young people who are not in education, employment or training prepare for work, amongst other objectives. They also compete to run local European Social Fund programmes; many of these programmes focus on helping young people improve their skills levels and employment opportunities.

    Where combined authorities agree devolution deals which include devolution of the Adult Education Budget, they will assume full responsibility for decisions about what provision to commission from that budget. Nine areas have agreed such deals to date, with devolution of that budget due to take effect from 2018/19, subject to readiness conditions being met. BIS is working with those areas in advance of full devolution to help increase local influence over nationally-funded adult education provision in their locality in the interim.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what funding is available for third-sector training providers to support young people who are not in education, employment or training and not ready for classroom-based learning since the end of the Youth Contract.

    Nick Boles

    Third sector providers and local authority adult education services access the Adult Education Budget as prime and sub-contractors, using the funding for training which helps young people who are not in education, employment or training prepare for work, amongst other objectives. They also compete to run local European Social Fund programmes; many of these programmes focus on helping young people improve their skills levels and employment opportunities.

    Where combined authorities agree devolution deals which include devolution of the Adult Education Budget, they will assume full responsibility for decisions about what provision to commission from that budget. Nine areas have agreed such deals to date, with devolution of that budget due to take effect from 2018/19, subject to readiness conditions being met. BIS is working with those areas in advance of full devolution to help increase local influence over nationally-funded adult education provision in their locality in the interim.

  • Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Hannah Bardell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hannah Bardell on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress has been made in improving construction sector productivity since publication of the Government’s Productivity Plan in July 2015.

    Nick Boles

    Working with the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), the Government has identified skills, business models and innovation as the major sources of improved productivity in the sector.

    To promote increased investment in skills, an Apprenticeship Levy will be introduced in April 2017 on all companies with a pay bill above £3 million per annum. The CLC Review of the Construction Labour Model launched in January 2016, is examining the labour model in construction and will recommend measures which will help lead house-building and other construction firms to ensure they have the skills, and the skills pipelines, that they need.

    The Government Construction Strategy 2016-2020 published in March this year has a focus on smarter procurement, using Government’s position in the market to help drive improved productivity in construction and better value for the tax payer.

    Businesses need money to invest in productivity improvement, and a review of the practice of cash retention and of the effectiveness of the legislation covering construction contracts (Part 2 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996), is currently underway.

    Digital technology has great potential to drive productivity improvement through innovation in construction, and the UK is among the world leaders thanks to the Government’s support for the use and development of Building Information Modelling. In the Budget the Government announced support for the development of the next digital standard for the construction sector, Building Information Modelling 3.