The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Prime Minister, if she will appoint a new Apprenticeships Adviser.
Mrs Theresa May
The Department for Education is in charge of the apprenticeships policy. I will continue to make any appointments, as they are required, to deliver the government’s agenda.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-04.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, who has overall ministerial responsibility for meeting the objectives set out in Fixing the foundations: creating a more prosperous nation, Cm9098, published in July 2015.
Greg Hands
The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills have overall responsibility for meeting the objectives set out in “Fixing the foundations: creating a more prosperous nation”.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and attended by Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, is ultimately responsible for tracking and driving forward these objectives.
Lord O’Neill, Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, has day to day responsibility for implementing the commitments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the current provision of skills required by the digital economy; and what steps he is taking to ensure that training delivered under the apprenticeship levy is geared towards high-value high-skilled jobs.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The digital sector contributes more than 7 per cent to the UK economy – it is one of our most innovative sectors, and needs a strong skills base to continue to grow and succeed. That is why this Government has implemented the new apprenticeship levy, and is consulting digital and technology employers to have a better understanding of their specific skills needs and assess the likely impacts of the levy on existing professional training programmes and initiatives.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-12-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes to the student opportunity fund on the number of people from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education.
Joseph Johnson
We have taken significant steps to widen participation in higher education. In particular, from 2015/16, we have removed the cap on student numbers, enabling more people than ever before to benefit from higher education. We have also established a stronger framework with increased responsibility placed on providers to widen access. The Director of Fair Access has agreed 183 Access Agreements for 2016/17 containing an estimated £745m to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds – up from £404m in 2009/10.
The Green Paper Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice, CM 9141 sets out additional steps the Government plans to take to increase the proportion of students from disadvantaged background entering higher education including through the new guidance that we plan to issue to the Director of Fair Access, and through the social mobility taskforce being set up by Universities UK.
We will work with the Higher Education Funding Council for England to target the Student Opportunity Fund in the most effective way and with the Director of Fair Access to ensure that universities take more responsibility for widening access, prioritising activities that demonstrate the greatest value for money.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what modelling his Department has conducted on future growth of apprenticeship numbers in individual sectors of the UK economy.
Nick Boles
Apprenticeships are paid jobs and their availability is employer demand-led, so we do not publish future forecasts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-01-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many businesses in Brighton and Hove which received a loan from the Start-up loans scheme are still in operation.
Anna Soubry
The Start Up Loans Company tracks the repayment performance of each loan rather than the status of each business created. However, it does undertake regular research and evaluation which shows that, for the programme as a whole, 80% of the businesses created continue to trade into the second year following their founder’s receipt of a Start-Up Loan.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-03-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for the capacity of the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure safety at airshows of the findings of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report on the 2015 Shoreham Airshow crash relating to the recommendations of the AAIB’s report on the 2007 Shoreham Airshow crash which were not implemented.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has recently consulted the air display community on amendments to its charging scheme for air displays. The revised charges will fund an additional four people to implement actions the CAA has already identified as part of its ongoing review of airshow safety for the 2016 air display season.
The majority of recommendations in the AAIB’s latest bulletin cover areas where the CAA has already taken action as part of its review, and these actions will further enhance the safety of UK civil air displays.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department last reviewed its statutory guidance on post-16 transport to education and training.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The statutory guidance for local authorities on post-16 transport was updated in February 2014 following the implementation of Raising the Participation Age (RPA). It was last reviewed in February 2016 and was found to be still up-to-date; there are no immediate changes planned to the guidance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 36124, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the apprenticeship levy on apprenticeship completion rates.
Nick Boles
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what role Industrial Partnerships will play in delivering the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
Jesse Norman
A successful industrial strategy can only be developed by engaging with people, businesses and organisations across the country. As the Government’s Industrial Strategy develops, the Ministerial team in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will continue to travel to all parts of the UK and engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including Industrial Partnerships.