Tag: Paul Blomfield

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff are employed in the Higher Education Audit Team; and what plans she has to change that number.

James Brokenshire

There are currently five staff working in the Higher Education Assurance Team (HEAT). The team is part of the Home Office’s wider Sponsor Compliance Network which is currently under review. Until that review is complete it is not possible to confirm the team’s eventual size and structure but its role and responsibilities will continue to be delivered within the Compliance Network’s operating structure.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 May 2016, on BIS consultation, HCWS30, what assessment he has made of the effect of the decision to centralise policy functions in London on (a) the morale of staff working on higher education reform in the Department’s Sheffield office and (b) his Department’s ability to retain higher education policy officials.

Joseph Johnson

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is committed to providing extensive support to those affected, following the decision to proceed with the proposal to create a combined BIS Headquarters and policy function in London. This includes the provision of outplacement support, and working with employers to maximise redeployment opportunities. BIS continues to work with affected staff to ensure there is support available to meet needs.

Although 72% of higher education officials are based in London, we recognise there is important expertise based in Sheffield. Civil Service resourcing is a matter for the Permanent Secretary and Department Board, who are ensuring that our teams can continue to delivering on the Government’s priorities during this difficult change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Written Statement of 26 May 2016, HCWS30, what estimate he has made of the transition costs associated with the decision to create a combined Business, Innovation and Skills headquarters and policy function in London.

Joseph Johnson

The Department has estimated that the transition costs associated with creating a combined policy centre and headquarters in London will be in the range of £9-13m which would be recouped in savings by the end of the Parliament. This model will better enable the Department to operate a more flexible, agile and easily re-deployable policy function which will continue to deliver BIS’ priorities as it reduces in size over the course of the Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to publish information on high quality higher education providers obtaining foundation or taught degree awarding powers on a probationary three year time-limited basis.

Joseph Johnson

The Higher Education and Research Bill provides for a power to authorise Degree Awarding Powers on a time-limited basis. We intend this to be the vehicle to implement the concept of probationary Degree Awarding Powers, which was set out in our White Paper ‘Success As A Knowledge Economy’.

Subject to the passage of the Bill, we plan to consult on the detail of the proposed changes to the Degree Awarding Powers, leading to new criteria and guidance. This would include the requirements and processes that will apply to providers seeking probationary taught or foundation Degree Awarding Powers. As now, we intend that details of all providers who have obtained Degree Awarding Powers will be publicly available. We envisage that this would indicate which providers have obtained those powers on a probationary basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to review the BIS 2020 programme in the light of the restructuring of government departments.

Joseph Johnson

A number of former BIS policy areas are shifting to the Department for Education. Around 450-500 people and posts, working in these areas will be shifting to the Department for Education. Approximately 90 of these are in the regions.

Given the machinery of government change we will be considering in the coming months how the reform plans of BEIS’ two predecessor departments should best be aligned.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation her Department carried out prior to launching the UKVI Tier Two pilot involving the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Bath and Imperial College London.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Home Office launched a Tier 4 visa pilot involving the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Bath and Imperial College London on 25 July. The pilot has been introduced to test the benefits of a differentiated approach within the education sector on the basis of compliance with immigration sponsorship requirements.

The pilot is deliberately narrow in scope, with the institutions selected on the basis of their consistently low level of visa refusals. Visa refusal rates are part of the Basic Compliance Assessment, which requires all Tier 4 sponsors to meet three core requirements based on measures of visa refusals, enrolment and completion of studies.

The limited nature of the pilot is intended to ensure that the outcomes can be adequately monitored, whilst minimising the risk of unintended consequences, before considering rolling-out the scheme more widely.

The four selected institutions were consulted regarding its implementation. Should the pilot be successful and rolled out more widely, the Home Office will consult key stakeholders about its expansion.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for his proposal to exclude taught masters students who are over the age of 30 from the new postgraduate loans scheme proposed for England.

Joseph Johnson

A consultation on the proposed postgraduate Master’s loan scheme was held earlier in the year. The consultation covered proposed terms and conditions, including an age eligibility criterion and the eligibility of distance learning. Consultation responses are currently being analysed and the Department will respond in the autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for the proposed exclusion from the new postgraduate loans scheme proposed for England of taught masters students who are studying via distance learning at a minimum of 50 per cent intensity.

Joseph Johnson

A consultation on the proposed postgraduate Master’s loan scheme was held earlier in the year. The consultation covered proposed terms and conditions, including an age eligibility criterion and the eligibility of distance learning. Consultation responses are currently being analysed and the Department will respond in the autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for the proposal to include in the new postgraduate loans scheme proposed for England part-time taught masters students studying at a minimum of 50 per cent intensity not via distance learning.

Joseph Johnson

A consultation on the proposed postgraduate Master’s loan scheme was held earlier in the year. The consultation covered proposed terms and conditions, including an age eligibility criterion and the eligibility of distance learning. Consultation responses are currently being analysed and the Department will respond in the autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he made of the effect of NHS England taking over responsibility for commissioning health services within the immigration detention estate in England on the adequacy of health provision within that estate.

Ben Gummer

In 2014 Health and Wellbeing Needs Assessments were carried out at all Immigration Removal Centres to ascertain the needs of the detainees, which in turn informed the quality and standard of services commissioned by NHS England, from 1 September 2014, to meet those needs.

National standards have been developed, against which health care providers are measured as part of contract management. A suite of indicators of performance are now in place to support this and to provide national data to demonstrate improvements in service delivery and outcomes.