Tag: Lord Taylor of Warwick

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that BAME civil servants struggle more than their white counterparts to reach senior positions in Whitehall.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The Government is committed to ensuring a diverse Civil Service that is representative of Modern Britain at all levels.

In 2014, we commissioned external research undertaken by Ethnic Dimension to identify the barriers to progression experienced by talented BAME Civil Servants. The findings informed the Talent Action Plan Refresh published in March 2015 outlining clear actions to develop a greater pool of diverse talent.

Specific actions include a commitment to expand the Positive Action Pathway programme, designed to identify and develop talented BAME employees to secure promotion.

We also plan to introduce Accelerate, an ambitious new talent programme to boost development of the pipeline for future leaders for key Director and Director General roles.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-03-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to encourage more females into STEM professions.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Government continues to work with partners to raise awareness and interest in STEM careers, including among females.

The Government launched the £30m Inspiring Science Capital Fund in January 2016, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust. The fund will help UK science centres invest in exhibitions and education spaces, and reach those who think science is not for them.

We also support STEM Ambassadors, a nationwide volunteer network of over 32,000 people from STEM companies or academia, who visit schools to encourage more young people into STEM.

In 2014 the Government helped to establish the industry-led Your Life campaign. Your Life has built a strong social media presence to inspire young people, particularly young girls, to study maths and physics as a gateway to exciting and wide-ranging careers.

DfE is funding programmes such as the Stimulating Physics Network (£2.15m in 2015-16) and the Further Maths Support Programme (£5m in 2015-16) to support schools and colleges to increase take up of maths and physics with a particular focus on engaging more girls.

109, 000 women were accepted onto STEM higher education courses in 2015. This represents an increase of 19.1% since 2010.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-03-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of the report from UBS predicting that, if the UK left the EU, sterling could hit parity with the euro.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

Britain is stronger, safer and better off by remaining in a reformed European Union.

The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G20 concluded that a British exit would cause an economic shock not just to the UK but to Europe and the world.

The Treasury will publish a comprehensive analysis of our membership of a reformed EU and the alternatives, including the long-term economic costs and benefits of EU membership and the risks associated with an exit before 23 June. The Government notes wider evidence on an ongoing basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-04-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the claim by the Institute for Fiscal Studies that the proposal to stop collecting data on the wealthiest 1 per cent in the UK would lead to their wealth being underestimated.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The Government is not proposing to stop collecting data on the wealthiest 1 per cent in the UK.

HM Revenue and Customs consulted on a proposal to cease producing statistics on personal wealth based on Inheritance Tax returns. The consultation suggested that the Office for National Statistics’ estimates of personal wealth, based on the household Wealth and Assets Survey, give a better indication of the overall distribution of wealth.

The Government has not yet published a formal response to the consultation, which has now closed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-07-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by the Chief Executive of Credit Suisse that the UK’s vote to leave the EU was the result of a chronic lack of investment in education” and a need for “more solidarity”.”

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

The British people have voted to leave the European Union and the Prime Minister has been clear that their will must be respected and delivered. We must now prepare for a negotiation to exit the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-10-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of comments by the Children’s Commissioner for England on the impact of bureaucracy on the ability of school nurses to promote children’s well-being.

Lord Nash

It is important that there is clarity about the roles that school nurses should, and should not, take on. That is why Public Health England (PHE) and its partners published a model specification for commissioning services for 0-19, in order to help inform decisions around the commissioning of the school nursing service and integrated services for school-aged children and young people.

PHE has also developed a number of professional pathways and guidance to support local delivery of school nursing services, including safeguarding. This guidance is currently being reviewed by partners, including National Health Service England (NHSE), and is expected to be published in early-spring 2017.

Adoption of technology is one way of addressing the burden of paperwork. Many services are now using technology and digital platforms to improve productivity and access, particularly for young people who may not usually access services through more traditional methods.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-10-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to encourage start-ups and boost company growth in Romford.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

We are supporting small businesses in many ways and are committed to making sure the UK is the best place in Europe to start and grow a business. Businesses in Romford are benefitting from Government support.

68 Start Up Loans, worth £362,000, have been issued across Romford. And 34 businesses have secured loans worth £3.14 million under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme.

Through the South East Growth Deal the Government is investing £488 million over six years (2015-2021) to projects which will support economic growth across Essex, including in Romford. And across Romford, six ambitious high growth businesses are benefitting from the advice and support provided by the Business Growth Service.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the claim by the Bank of England that up to 15 million jobs in Britain are at risk from increased mechanisation.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The Bank of England has made an important contribution to the debate about how technological developments will shape work and the labour market.

While assessments often focus on the jobs at risk from technological change, the wider effects of such changes can also be to create jobs. The UK economy has adapted well to previous changes related to automation and globalisation, with over 2.5 million people moving between jobs each year, and it is now experiencing record rates (73.7%) and levels (31.2 million) of employment.

The Government is taking action to provide individuals with the skills that will help prepare them for changes to the labour market. Activities include the new school computing curriculum, developing new apprenticeship standards, growing the apprenticeships programme and recently announcing the Institute for Coding.​​

Furthermore, the Government’s Horizon Scanning Programme Team is working with officials across departments to explore the implications for policy – including employment – of automation. This has included meeting the experts who created the methodology underlying the Bank of England’s analysis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are being taken to support self-employed people who are confused over their tax status or struggle to understand the tax system.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) provides business with detailed guidance and an online Employment Status Indicator to check whether they are employed or self-employed for tax, National Insurance or VAT purposes. This is available on the gov.uk website.

HMRC is working with stakeholders to improve the online tool. Customers needing further support can call the Helpline on 03001232326.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-03-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support local government in the light of their planned extension of business rate relief.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

These tax cuts provide significant support to local businesses. The Small Business Rate Relief measure announced at the Budget will mean 600,000 of the smallest businesses will not have to pay business rates.

Local authorities will be compensated in full for their loss of income as a result of these changes.