Tag: Gordon Marsden

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 Resource Account and Budgeting charge of outstanding debt which will be written off for 24+ Advanced Learner Loans in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Nick Boles

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) models the proportion of loans which we expect will not be repaid – the resource accounting and budgeting charge (RAB charge). The RAB charge is estimated to be 50% in 2013-14 and 55% in 2014-15. BIS is collecting data on learners as it emerges and based on this data we regularly review and update the RAB charge estimate.

We publish the RAB charge once a year in BIS’ accounts.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will define the future (a) role and (b) powers of the Visit England Board.

Tracey Crouch

The VisitEngland Board will be an advisory body, responsible for advising the executive and board of the British Tourist Authority on how best to deliver and monitor English activity. The statutory duties and functions of the VisitEngland Board remain as set out in the Development of Tourism Act 1969 and it will remain a unfunded advisory non-departmental public body.

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 types of evidence he plans will be considered for assessment for the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Joseph Johnson

The Higher Education Green Paper proposed that judgements about teaching excellence will be made by a panel of independent experts, considering both a common set of core metrics and additional contextual data, both quantitative and qualitative, submitted by the provider. The core metrics proposed in the Green Paper are derived from quality assured national datasets and would measure employment outcomes, retention and student satisfaction.

We are considering the responses to the consultation and intend to publish a further technical consultation which will explore how the evidence should be used.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reasons he has decided to withdraw funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Boles

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills’ (UKCES) work over the last parliament has helped in setting the skills agenda for the future; and their activities have created the conditions to move to the next phase of more devolution, greater employer ownership and the apprenticeship levy. We have, however, concluded that we need new structures to move onto that next phase and have announced the establishment in England of a new Institute for Apprenticeships.

In light of this, a decision was taken as part of the spending review by Whitehall Departments to withdraw funding from UKCES during 2016-17 in the context of the need to make savings in non-participation budgets to allow the core adult skills participation budgets to be protected in cash terms.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if his Department will publish the full list of Equivalent or Lower Qualification exempt subjects announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

Joseph Johnson

Part time students studying for a second degree in subjects allied to medicine; biological sciences; veterinary sciences, agriculture and related subjects; physical sciences; and mathematical sciences will be eligible for a tuition fee loan from the 2017/18 academic year. These are in addition to the exemption for part time technology, computer science and engineering degrees introduced in 2015/16. Subject lists below these broad headings are published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency at https://www.hesa.ac.uk/component/content/article?id=1787

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2016 to Question 30445, to which regions the 50 Enterprise Coordinators have been appointed.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) is continuing to make excellent progress to transform the provision of careers, enterprise and employer engagement experiences for young people, including growing its Enterprise Advisers Network. The CEC is responsible for the administrative resources provided to the network. We therefore suggest contacting the company directly for detailed information about the network, including regions to which Enterprise Co-ordinators and Advisers have been appointed. The CEC can be contacted at info@careersandenterprise.co.uk.

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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.