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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that migrant workers are not exploited or paid less than the minimum wage.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The appointment of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement, due shortly, will strengthen our ability to find and stop exploitative employers. We are currently consulting on proposals to create a new offence of an aggravated breach of labour market legislation and to widen the remit and strengthen the powers of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to enable it to tackle serious exploitation.

Migrant workers who are entitled to other employment rights in UK law are also entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rate relevant to their age. Anyone concerned about underpayment of the NMW should call Acas’s confidential helpline on 0300 123 1100 or visit http://www.acas.org.uk/nmw. HMRC will investigate every complaint it receives.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the recommendations of the Cole Commission on UK exports they have implemented.

Lord Maude of Horsham

As ministers take forward plans to reform and improve the UK’s export and investment effort, they will take into consideration recommendations in the Cole report, as well as advice and suggestions from a broad range of stakeholders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current account deficit in trade.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The current account deficit was 5.1 per cent of GDP in 2014. The trade balance has been broadly stable, while the UK’s net investment income has fallen, as weakness in the euro area has depressed the returns on the UK’s holding of foreign direct investment. Figures for Q2 2015 show that the deficit has narrowed, driven by an improvement in the trade and investment income balances. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts a narrowing of the current account deficit over the forecast period.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they are giving to the aviation industry in the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

As announced in the Autumn Statement 2015, the Government is providing £7 million through the Regional Air Connectivity Fund to support new air routes promoting domestic and international connectivity and stimulating jobs and growth. We are also already providing over £5 million in support for two air routes to London via Public Service Obligations.

In addition we are working with partners in aviation and aerospace sectors to develop both the skills and the modern infrastructure they need,

Aviation employers, including British Airways, all the UK’s major airports and the Royal Air Force have formed a Trailblazer group to develop new apprenticeship standards for the sector. Standards currently under development are aviation operations manager level 4, aviation ground specialist level 3, airside operator level 2 and aviation ground operative level 2. These apprenticeships will provide new training routes for the sector, which will attract government funding.

New Anglia LEP is also supporting the development of an Aviation Skills Academy at Norwich Airport through a £3m growth deal.

The Regional Growth Fund has supported the project to divert the A45 in Solihull which has facilitated the extension of the runway at Birmingham Airport to enable direct flights to the west coast of the USA and China. The fund has also provided two awards to GE Aviation to research novel and new technologies to increase aircraft operation and emissions efficiencies, and the development of new manufacturing processes for the aviation industry.

Finally, Gloucestershire LEP is putting in place key infrastructure at Staverton Airport to enable the private sector to develop more aircraft hangars in order to secure the long-term viability of the airport and maximise its contribution to the local economy. The project is seeking to attract aviation-related businesses including aircraft maintenance, flight training and corporate jet management companies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many students completed apprenticeships in each year from 2010 to the last year for which records are available.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The table shows the number of learners that achieved apprenticeships from 2010:

All Age Apprenticeship Framework Achievements (2009/10 to 2014/15)

This data is published as part of a Statistical First Release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that apprenticeships deliver the skills that are needed in the current world of work.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

We are committed to delivering employer-led apprenticeship reforms, which continue to improve the ability of apprenticeships to provide the skills that employers need.

Employers are designing high quality apprenticeships – including Degree Apprenticeships -that are more responsive to the needs of business. They are deciding the skills, knowledge and behaviour required in each apprenticeship and how those skills should be assessed at the end of the programme. Through this process employers can be confident that completing an apprenticeship signals a genuine ability to do the job.