The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Sussex Area Review of post-16 education and training is planned to be published.
Robert Halfon
As confirmed in the Area Review Guidance published in March 2016, we will publish the area review reports once each review has completed. We expect to publish the Sussex area review report in the near future.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he was made aware of the project undertaken by South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust in winter 2014-15 relating to prioritisation of NHS 111 calls.
Jane Ellison
Departmental officials were first notified of a project which was run between December 2014 and February 2015 in the south of England on 23 October 2015 by Monitor, the independent health sector regulator.
We are advised that Monitor is taking action with South East Coast Ambulance Service Foundation Trust regarding concerns about the project and the regulator is working with the Trust now to identify the negative impact this project could have had on patients. It is Monitor’s function to undertaken such investigations independently of the Department where there are no immediate patient safety issues. Monitor and Departmental officials regularly discuss such issues on a routine basis.
As part of regulatory action, Monitor advises it has asked the trust to carry out a detailed independent review of the impact the project had on patients. Monitor has asked the Trust to do this with the help of an external expert, who the regulator will select. The full details of what the review will look at and how long it will take are being worked on by the trust and Monitor, including consideration of publication of the review finding.
In March, NHS England convened a risk summit meeting involving all partners following the suspension by South East Coast Ambulance Service of their unofficial call-handling project. It was agreed that NHS England would undertake an external investigation. The report of the investigation was published by NHS England today and is attached.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on recipients of the expiry of the Small Business Rate Relief scheme at the end of March 2016; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Government is continuing to consider representations, which included business rates reliefs, to inform decisions on reform of the business rates system. The Government has confirmed the review will conclude by the end of the year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has for the future of the homelessness prevention grant.
Mr Marcus Jones
Decisions around locally funded services will be set out in the provisional Local Government Settlement, which we intend to announce before recess.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the relationship will be between the new Institute for Apprentices and the industry-led body that will administer the Apprenticeships Levy.
Nick Boles
It is our intention that the independent Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) will be established by April 2017. The Institute will approve apprenticeship standards and safeguard apprenticeship quality.
The body will not be responsible for the operational functions associated with funding of apprenticeships and the administration of the levy. These will be fulfilled by the Government’s operational agencies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-01-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the economic effect of delays to rail services into London Victoria from the Sussex coast in the last 12 months.
Claire Perry
No estimate has been made, though officials are considering how to do so.
Customers on this part of the rail network haven’t always received the service they deserve. When we awarded the franchise through our robust competitive process we bought a plan to deliver a high quality service for passengers which will deliver more services, more capacity and three new fleets of trains on the Govia Thameslink Railway. None of this comes without short term challenges as a result of this significant four year programme of transformation. We believe that this plan alongside the Government’s investment in the Thameslink programme will deliver the improvements passengers deserve.
I am concerned about ensuring passengers receive the best possible service during the present crucial works on this part of the rail network. Shortly after the election I set up the South East Quadrant Taskforce, which I continue to chair. This group, which includes Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway, is absolutely committed to making improvements and, crucially, to making sure that rail customers see the benefits of these improvements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the apprenticeship levy on the charity and voluntary sectors.
Nick Boles
A key part of the Government’s commitment of 3 million apprenticeships starts in England by 2020 is to ensure that quality apprenticeships are available at all levels and in all sectors. This will give people the widest opportunity to participate in high quality programmes to improve their skills and give employers, including charities and voluntary organisations, the skilled workforce they need to grow and improve productivity.
The apprenticeships levy will only be paid by those with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million. This is 2% of all employers. We will continue to engage with charity and voluntary sectors in the development and implementation of the apprenticeship levy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of higher education students continued to (a) further study and (b) employment when leaving (i) university and (ii) a further education college in each of the last five years.
Joseph Johnson
Research by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) into the destinations of leavers from Higher Education by provider type was published as part of the report ‘Destination of Leavers from Higher Education in Further Education Colleges’. The report includes breakdowns of the activities leavers were engaged in six months after leaving their course and refers to the academic years 2008/09 to 2010/11.
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2013/201301/
More recent data showing combined employment and study rates has been published by HEFCE as part of the series ‘Higher Education Indicators for Further Education Colleges’. The most recent analysis covers the 2011/12 and 2012/13 academic years.
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2016/201601/
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of people taking degree apprenticeships by the 2019-20 academic year.
Nick Boles
Degree Apprenticeships are designed by groups of employers working with higher education institutions and will be driven by employer demand. We therefore do not have an estimate of the number that will be delivered by 2019/20, but believe that they provide a valuable route for people to obtain a degree-level qualification alongside training for a career, with the prospect of a job from day one.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made by his Department and train operating companies on ensuring compliance with the relevant legislative provisions by the expiry date of the (Commencement No. 3, Transitional Provisions, Savings and Consequential Amendments) (Amendment) Order 2016 in October 2016.
Claire Perry
It is for the rail industry to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Consumer Rights Act when the services provisions of the Act come into force. Train companies, working with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), are currently reviewing their working practices to ensure that this is the case. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is a statutory enforcement body for the Consumer Rights Act for this sector.
The Department for Transport, ATOC and the ORR are working together to co-ordinate industry wide improvements in the way that rail passenger compensations schemes are publicised and administered.