Tag: Gordon Marsden

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-05-04.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how his Department plans to assess for payment of the apprenticeship levy companies whose paybill during the financial year in question varies above or below the £3 million published threshold for paying that levy.

Greg Hands

The Government plans for assessment of the levy is set out in the latest guidance published by the Department of Business Innovation and skills "Apprenticeship levy: how it will work" in the section "Calculating what you pay" available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-levy-how-it-will-work/apprenticeship-levy-how-it-will-work. The levy allowance will operate on a monthly basis and will accumulate throughout the year.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-05-05.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential cost of the apprenticeship levy to (a) schools and (b) Multi-Academy Trusts in (i) 2017-18, (ii) 2018-19 and (iii) 2019-20.

Greg Hands

Local authorities, academies and multi academy trusts along with all other employers, ‘will only pay the apprenticeship levy if their company paybill exceeds £3 million.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the expected take-up of postgraduate loans by (a) UK and (b) EU students in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson

The Department’s current central estimate is that around 60,000 students will take out the new postgraduate master’s loan in Academic Year 2016/17. We estimate that a similar number of students will take out the loan in each of the Academic Years 2017/18 and 2018/19. These estimates will be reviewed in light of the student applications received in the first year of the loan’s operation. The new master’s loan will be available to eligible students including those UK students ordinarily resident in England or EU nationals resident elsewhere in the EU who meet the loan’s eligibility criteria. As this is a new loan product this year, it is too early to give an accurate estimate of the domicile of borrowers in 2017/18 or 2018/19.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the higher education sector on extending the new postgraduate loans scheme to part-time taught masters students aged over 30.

Joseph Johnson

A consultation on support for postgraduate study was launched in March of this year. The consultation sought views on the Government’s intention to introduce a new loan scheme for taught Master’s study and a review of how to broaden and strengthen support for postgraduate research. Consultation responses have been analysed and the Department is preparing its response.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what powers and remit the successor to the departing Chief Executive of Visit England will have in addition to being a director of Visit Britain.

Tracey Crouch

This is a matter for the British Tourist Authority (BTA). The BTA is currently considering the detail of its future operating structure to enable it to deliver on the Government’s policy direction, and to generate a maximum return on investment for the funding allocated to it.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the RAB charge for students entering higher education in England in 2016-17 who take up a full maintenance loan and tuition fees when finishing a three-year course; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson

The Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) charge is calculated for the total full time student population, rather than separately for students on courses of different lengths or on the basis of the size of the loans taken out. We estimate that the RAB charge for full-time tuition fee and maintenance loans, and part time fee loans, is between 20% and 25%.

These estimates take into account the changes to student finance and the new HM Treasury discount rate used to value the student loan book announced at the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015. We will update our estimates in summer 2016 and publish these at the same time as BIS accounts, alongside an updated version of the simplified loan repayments model.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he consulted the board of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills prior to his decision to withdraw its funding.

Nick Boles

The Commissioners of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) were not consulted during the spending review process prior to the decision taken by Whitehall Departments to withdraw funding.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has subsequently been working closely with the UKCES’s Strategic Management Group of Commissioners to manage the implications of the decision.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-03-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the consequential effects of the introduction of maintenance loans for part-time students.

Joseph Johnson

The Government announced in the Spending Review that for the first time, student finance would be available to part time students to help meet both tuition and living costs.

Discussions are ongoing with other Government Departments and stakeholders regarding the new maintenance loan product for part time higher education students, and specifically its interaction with the social security system.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how the Access to Higher Education Diploma will be funded from academic year 2016-17 onwards.

Nick Boles

From 1 August 2016, funding for learners to study an Access to HE Diploma will be as follows:

• learners aged 19 or over who already have a full level 3 qualification will be able to access an Advanced Learner Loan;

• for those aged 19 to 23 who do not currently have a first full level 3 the Skills Funding Agency will provide full funding as the individual will be exercising their level 3 entitlement.

  Learners with an Advanced Learner Loan for their Access to HE Diploma course, who then go on to complete a course of Higher Education, will have the outstanding balance of their Advanced Learner Loan written off. Advanced Learner Loans for Access to HE Diploma courses continue to be accessed in good numbers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he expects to publish equality impact assessments relating to area reviews of post-16 education and training.

Nick Boles

The Government will produce an evaluation of the area review programme and its potential to impact on groups protected by the Equality Act 2010.

The Joint Area Review Delivery Unit, which supports the individual reviews, will work with the local steering groups overseeing the reviews to make sure that equality issues are considered in each review.

The reviews do not, however, mandate action. Colleges are independent corporations and it will be for each college’s governing body to assess the potential impact on groups protected by the Act, as part of its decision to accept or reject any recommendation requiring a change to their provision. This does not therefore require a modification of the outcomes of a review.