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  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of proposed changes to student loan repayment thresholds on repayment regimes for students who take out 24+ Advanced Learner Loan and who study for a Level 3 qualification who then study for and complete an HE qualification.

    Nick Boles

    The impact of freezing the threshold for students who take out 24+ Advanced Learning Loans to study Level 3 qualification who then complete an HE qualification will be similar to the impact for all HE borrowers.

    Estimates of the impact of freezing the repayment thresholds for HE borrowers are illustrated in the consultation document, which has been published here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/freezing-the-student-loan-repayment-threshold

    “

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Cabinet Office on proposals in the Higher Education White Paper on removing HEFCE-funded providers from the scope of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

    Joseph Johnson

    The content of the Higher Education Green Paper ‘Fulfilling Our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice’ was discussed across Government. Our overall aim is to see a level playing field between higher education providers and, where possible to reduce burdens and deregulate. The Green Paper also makes clear that there may be a case for an exception to this general approach if it is in the interests of students or the wider public. We recognise the importance of the Freedom of Information Act and welcome views on its application to the higher education sector as part of the consultation on the Green Paper.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of proposed changes to student loan repayment thresholds on repayment regimes for those students who take out 24+ Advanced Learner Loan and who study for an Access to HE qualification but then do not complete an HE qualification.

    Nick Boles

    Where a learner takes out a loan to fund an Access to HE Diploma course, and then goes on to complete their HE Diploma course, then the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan is written off.

    The impact of freezing the threshold for students who take out 24+ Advanced Learning Loans to study for an Access to HE qualification but do not complete an HE qualification will be similar to the impact for all 24+ Advanced Learning Loan borrowers.

    Estimates of the impact of freezing the repayment thresholds for 24+ Advanced Learning Loans borrowers are illustrated in the consultation document, which has been published here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/freezing-the-student-loan-repayment-threshold

    “

  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the likely impact of freezing the earnings repayment thresholds for 24+ Advanced Learner Loans on the Resource Account and Budgeting charge of outstanding debt which will be written off for 24+ Advanced Learner Loans.

    Nick Boles

    We estimate the RAB charge under option 1 (freeze threshold for all Plan 2 loans, existing and new borrowers from April 2016 to April 2021) will decrease by about 5 percentage points from the current level of 55% to 50%.

    Further information on the impact of freezing the earnings repayment thresholds for 24+ Advanced Learning Loans on future repayments is shown in the Consultation on freezing the student loan repayment thresholds, which has been published here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/freezing-the-student-loan-repayment-threshold

    “

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department has attracted in investment to regenerate the site of the Royal Hospital Haslar; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) Regeneration Investment Organisation is promoting the Royal Haslar Hospital site for international investment. To date, no investment has been attracted into the site by UKTI.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government is taking to increase the access to finance of small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to export.

    Anna Soubry

    UK Export Finance (UKEF) has established a cadre of Export Finance Advisors based around the UK so exporters can access advice locally where they are seeking finance for export transactions which they are unable to obtain from the private market.

    UKEF offers products to assist SME exporters in such circumstances where the risks are acceptable, including an Export Working Capital Scheme. It is looking to enhance its products using new Statutory powers that came into force earlier in 2015. It is also planning to improve accessibility to those products delivered through banks and simplify documentation, including application forms and associated processes, where appropriate, by digital means, that should help speed-up decision-taking and response times.

    The Government is currently consulting on simplifying the anti-bribery Declarations and Undertakings exporters are required to provide UKEF. UKEF liaises with the British Business Bank to ensure each other’s products are complementary and fill gaps in the provisions of support where this is unavailable from the private market.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2015 to Question 13713, for what reasons all of Lord Green of Hustierpoint’s updates on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership dated before 6 August 2015 cannot be deposited in the Library.

    Anna Soubry

    Previous updates to the European Scrutiny Committees of both Houses and the APPG for EU-US Trade and Investment are being deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

  • Peter Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Dowd on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when post-16 education will be reviewed in Merseyside under the area review process; and if he will make a statement.

    Nick Boles

    The reviews are aimed at delivering a skills system that meets the economic and educational needs of areas whilst also ensuring the long term sustainability of colleges to support productivity. Their purpose is not to secure savings to Government. However, early evidence from the pilot reviews indicates that there is potential for the reviews to secure efficiency savings.

    The second wave of area reviews will start in January 2016 and we aim to announce details within the next few weeks. We are currently looking at the geographies and phasing for other areas and will aim to issue further information on this before the end of the year but in doing this we recognise that the position should remain fluid to take account of the views of local partners and also cases of college failure. We expect all reviews to be completed by March 2017.

  • Peter Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Dowd on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his Department’s publication, Reviewing post-16 education and training institutions, of 20 July 2015, how much his Department expects to save as a result of implementing the proposals set out therein.

    Nick Boles

    The reviews are aimed at delivering a skills system that meets the economic and educational needs of areas whilst also ensuring the long term sustainability of colleges to support productivity. Their purpose is not to secure savings to Government. However, early evidence from the pilot reviews indicates that there is potential for the reviews to secure efficiency savings.

    The second wave of area reviews will start in January 2016 and we aim to announce details within the next few weeks. We are currently looking at the geographies and phasing for other areas and will aim to issue further information on this before the end of the year but in doing this we recognise that the position should remain fluid to take account of the views of local partners and also cases of college failure. We expect all reviews to be completed by March 2017.

  • Peter Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Dowd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Dowd on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish a timetable for the review of post-16 education and training by area; and when such reviews will take place.

    Nick Boles

    The reviews are aimed at delivering a skills system that meets the economic and educational needs of areas whilst also ensuring the long term sustainability of colleges to support productivity. Their purpose is not to secure savings to Government. However, early evidence from the pilot reviews indicates that there is potential for the reviews to secure efficiency savings.

    The second wave of area reviews will start in January 2016 and we aim to announce details within the next few weeks. We are currently looking at the geographies and phasing for other areas and will aim to issue further information on this before the end of the year but in doing this we recognise that the position should remain fluid to take account of the views of local partners and also cases of college failure. We expect all reviews to be completed by March 2017.