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Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2015 to Question 6424, what progress his Department has made on its internal review of employment status, launched on 6 October 2014.

Nick Boles

The internal review of employment status has now concluded.

Ministers are carefully considering whether further steps are required to improve clarity and transparency for employers and individuals alike.

01/01/2023
Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many new apprenticeships were created in East London in 2015.

Nick Boles

Information on the number of Apprenticeship starts by region, Local Authority and Parliamentary constituency is published as a supplementary table (first link) to a Statistical First release (second link). Latest published data includes Apprenticeship starts reported to date for August to October 2015. Data up to and including January 2016 will be published at the same link following publication of the next Statistical First Release on 23^rd March 2016.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/493777/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xls

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held

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01/01/2023
Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure that a greater proportion of people who start apprenticeships see them through to completion.

Nick Boles

Provider payments are made on completion of an apprenticeship framework. The final 20% of the rate will be paid when the apprentice achieves their learning aim.

We emphasise the benefits of completing an apprenticeship. At Level 2 and 3 these are very significant, standing at between £48,000 and £74,000 for Level 2 and between £77,000 and £117,000 for Level 3 Apprenticeships^{^[1]}. Higher apprentices could earn £150,000 more on average over their lifetime compared to those with L3 vocational qualifications^{^[2]}.

We are committed to improving the quality of apprenticeships to ensure that they deliver the training employers and apprentices expect, making them more likely to complete.

Apprentices develop transferable skills and English and maths to enable them to progress in their careers. Employer-led Trailblazers are designing apprenticeship standards at a range of levels to provide the skills that employers need.

Ofsted is responsible for the overall process of inspecting and quality assuring training providers. The Institute for Apprenticeships will work closely with Ofsted, Ofqual and the Skills Funding Agency who have responsibility for quality assuring the delivery of many aspects of apprenticeships.

[1] London Economics (2011) – ‘BIS Research Paper Number 53, Returns to Intermediate and Low Level Vocational Qualifications, September 2011’

[2] Apprenticeships in England Oct 2013

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01/01/2023
Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the legal opinion by Michael Bowsher QC and Azeem Suterwalla on the potential effect of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry

We have recently been provided with legal advice commissioned by Unite the Union and are considering the points raised by it.

Over several decades the UK and EU have signed numerous trade agreements. These treaties have helped both UK and EU businesses grow and create high quality jobs. They have also ensured that it remains for the UK to decide how our public services are run.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will be no different. Decisions on how to deliver public services for the best outcomes for UK citizens are and will be made by UK governments, not our trade partners. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, the European Commission and the US Government have all confirmed this. The NHS is not at risk from TTIP or any other trade and investment agreement.

01/01/2023
Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of apprenticeships created in 2015 were taken up by British citizens.

Nick Boles

The Department collects self-reported data on the ethnicity of apprentices, but not nationality. Skills Funding Agency funding can only be used for apprentices whose main employment or normal place of work is in England. In addition employers are responsible for checking that their apprentices have the right to work in the UK.

01/01/2023
Bridget Phillipson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2016 to Question 24849, how much of the budget allocated for the National Living Wage advertising campaign has been allocated to advertisements on the London Underground.

Nick Boles

£42,000 has been allocated to advertisements on the London Underground.

The Government’s new National Living Wage is a step up for working people, so it is important workers know their rights and that employers pay the new £7.20 from April 1^st. The campaign will tell people about their entitlements and is targeted at employers, and workers currently earning the National Minimum Wage.

01/01/2023

Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2016 to Question 27903, which countries were visited in each of the overseas visits referred to in the Answer; and which trade envoy undertook each such visit.

Anna Soubry

The table below outlines which countries were visited, and by which Trade Envoy.

YEAR	TRADE ENVOY	COUNTRY
2012	Baroness Morris	Jordan
2013	Baroness Morris	Palestine, Kuwait
2013	Lord Risby	Algeria
2013	Baroness Scotland	South Africa
2013	Lord Putnam	Vietnam, Laos
2013	Baroness Bonham-Carter	Mexico x2
2013	Richard Graham	Indonesia
2014	Baroness Bonham-Carter	Mexico x2
2014	Richard Graham	Indonesia x2
2014	Mark Prisk	Iceland, Finland, Sweden
2014	Lord Risby	Algeria x3, Tunisia
2014	David Heath	Nigeria x2, Angola x2
2014	Lord Sharman	Morocco x2
2014	Baroness Scotland	South Africa x2
2014	Lord Hollick	Kenya, Tanzania,
2014	Lord Janvrin	Turkey x2
2014	Charles Hendry	Kazakhstan x2
2014	Baroness Morris	Palestine x2, Jordan
2014	Lord King	Saudi Arabia
2014	Charles Hendry	Azerbaijan x2
2015	Charles Hendry	Kazakhstan x2, Azerbaijan
2015	Baroness Morris	Kuwait x3, Palestine
2015	Lord Janvrin	Turkey x2
2015	Lord King	Saudi Arabia x3
2015	Baroness Nicholson	Iraq
2015	Baroness Bonham-Carter	Mexico x2
2015	Lord Putnam	Vietnam x2, Cambodia x2, Laos
2015	Lord Hollick	Tanzania, Kenya
2015	Lord Risby	Algeria
2015	David Heath	Angola, Nigeria
2015	Baroness Scotland	South Africa x2
2015	Richard Graham	Indonesia x3, Singapore, Malaysia
2015	Mark Prisk	Norway, Sweden
2016	Lord Risby	Algeria
2016	Lord Hollick	Tanzania, Kenya
2016	Baroness Northover	Angola
2016	Baroness Scotland	South Africa
2016	Jeffrey Donaldson MP	Egypt
2016	Baroness Morris	Kuwait
2016	Lord Putnam	Vietnam, Cambodia x2, Laos
2016	Richard Graham	Indonesia, Singapore

01/01/2023

Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the potential change in the level of employment in law firms arising from the changes to personal injury law and procedure announced in the Autumn Statement 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Raab

The Government will be consulting on the detail of the proposals in due course. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

01/01/2023
Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to secure the appropriate data to monitor the progress of programmes which encourage the uptake of STEM subjects and careers by girls.

Joseph Johnson

The Government funds a number of programmes which encourage the uptake of STEM subjects by girls. We monitor the progress of these programmes against their key performance indicators through regular reports, and by evaluating their impact.

In 2014 the Government published for the first time data showing the proportion of girls and boys studying A levels in science and maths at each post-16 institution, and in 2016 time series data of students entered for mathematics and science A level subjects by number of subjects and gender. Both sets of data will continue to be published on an annual basis.

01/01/2023
Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people owned shares in Royal Mail at (a) the launch of the share offer and (b) 1 January 2016.

Anna Soubry

At the time of Royal Mail Initial Public Offering (IPO) in October 2013, approximately 16% of the company was sold to 690,000 individual investors through a retail offer. A further 10% of the company was awarded to the company’s eligible UK employees with approximately 147,000 employees receiving shares.

Since the IPO, shareholders who purchased shares through the retail offer have been free to trade their shares. The Government does not hold records of these share dealings. Royal Mail has responsibility for maintaining a register of shareholdings in company.

The shares awarded to employees have been held in trust by Royal Mail’s Share Incentive Plan (SIP) to enable the employees to benefit from tax and national insurance advantages. Employees will be able to sell shares from October 2016. Eligible UK employees were also awarded a further 1% of the company’s shares in October 2015 and a further 1% award will be made later this year. These shares will also be held in the Royal Mail SIP for 3 years before they can be sold.

01/01/2023