The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to launch his Department’s consultation for target numbers of apprenticeships in the public sector.
Nick Boles
The consultation was published on 25 January 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the National Apprenticeship Service will continue to be (a) administered and (b) funded through the Skills Funding Agency in 2016-17.
Nick Boles
The National Apprenticeship Service is part of the Skills Funding Agency. We plan for this to continue to be the case in 2016-17.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many full-time equivalent staff there were in the Skills Funding Agency in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15.
Nick Boles
The table below outlines the total number of staff employed by full-time equivalence in the Skills Funding Agency:
|
2010-11 |
1459 |
|
2011-12 |
1580 |
|
2012-13 |
1200 |
|
2013-14 |
1142 |
|
2014-15 |
788 |
Staffing numbers have reduced as part of the Civil Service reform programme. Alongside this, the Skills Funding Agency has prioritised its resources to focus on 3 million apprenticeship starts. The latest Statistical First Release shows an upward trajectory of apprenticeship starts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions officials in his Department have had with officials of the Department for Work and Pensions on JobCentre Plus involvement in the Find An Apprentice Service.
Nick Boles
The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) is working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). A live link from the ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ service provides real time apprenticeship vacancies each day to the Jobcentre Plus Universal Jobmatch vacancy website. This ensures that clients who are in receipt of benefits have easy access to information about apprenticeship vacancies.
In addition, the SFA is working with DWP to train work coaches in job centres so that they have up to date information on apprenticeships to share with clients. The SFA is also ensuring that DWP employer teams have the information needed on apprenticeships to promote these as part of their conversations with businesses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the timescale is for privatisation of the Green Investment Bank; and whether he has made contingency plans to extend that timescale in the event of adverse market conditions.
Anna Soubry
The Government has previously stated that it is seeking to sell a majority stake in the Green Investment Bank (GIB) in the financial year 2016/17.
Strong market interest currently exists for the GIB and we expect this timetable to be successfully met. Any extension would be considered nearer to the end of that timetable, should it be required.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the proportion of (a) public and (b) private investment was in each project in which the Green Investment Bank has invested.
Anna Soubry
The information requested can be found in the Transaction Table on the Green Investment Bank website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding the Green Investment Bank has invested in fracking projects in the UK.
Anna Soubry
The Green Investment Bank has not invested in any fracking projects.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his Department’s policy is on providing direct web links to information requested in written parliamentary questions in the Answers to those questions.
Joseph Johnson
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not have a specific policy on the provision of web links. Parliamentary Questions are answered according to the preferred approach of each individual Minister.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on how many occasions in each of the last two calendar years his Department has been notified by outside consultants or other third parties of breaches by employees or subcontractors of those consultants of document retention or security policies relating to confidential or secure materials.
Joseph Johnson
The Department for Business Innovation & Skills was notified of 16 breaches by employees of companies processing data on behalf of the Department in 2014 and 4 breaches in 2015. The last breach reported by an employee of a company processing our data was in April 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2015 to Question 657, what tangible progress towards the EU-US Free Trade Agreement had been made by the end of 2015; and whether any agreement in principle had been reached on that matter by that date.
Anna Soubry
There have now been eleven rounds of negotiations for the EU-US Free Trade Agreement also known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). A significant step forward was taken last June when the US Congress passed the Trade Promotion Authority bill (fast track authority for trade agreements). The agreement reached at the end of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (in the Asia Pacific region) last October is further good news, and allows the US to increase focus on TTIP.
The last negotiating round took place in October. A significant milestone was reached with the exchange of revised tariff offers, which would see tariffs almost completely removed. Negotiators also discussed all aspects of market access in public procurement. This helps prepare the ground for the first exchange of procurement offers expected in February.
We are making tangible progress and our ambition remains to reach an agreement under the Obama presidency.