Tag: Peter Kyle

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether new apprenticeship standards will be grouped within the same sectors as the frameworks they are replacing to ensure continuity with previously recorded data.

Nick Boles

Employer designed apprenticeship standards focus on the knowledge, skills and behaviour required to achieve full competence in an individual occupation. There is no requirement for employers to replicate particular frameworks or pathways within them, as the priority is creating apprenticeships that meet employers’ needs. To ensure we can track developments in apprenticeship standards – for example, take up in particular sectors or regions – we are currently maintaining the current sector subject area classifications and allocate new standards to them to ensure continuity with previously recorded data.

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 universities.

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 universities, the skilled workforce they need to grow and improve productivity.

We are encouraging employers to take the lead in developing more apprenticeship standards at degree level. This will create a business opportunity for universities, many of which are already working with employers to design apprenticeships.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to respond to the Office of Rail and Road’s recommendations following Which?’s super-complaint regarding train companies and the compensation process for passengers affected by train delays.

Claire Perry

I welcome the publication of the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR’s) recommendations following Which?’s super-complaint. It is vital that customers who suffer delays understand their rights to compensation and have access to it in a timely way. Industry must now do much more to make that process quick and user-friendly. We are already working with the Association of Train Operating Companies and the ORR to bring about improvements, and my Department will respond to the ORR’s report in the summer of 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33699, what the duties of the board members of the Institute for Apprenticeships will be prior to the launch of that Institute in April 2017.

Nick Boles

The Institute for Apprenticeship’s Board will be appointed via a public appointments process later this year. In shadow form, the Board will be expected to oversee the finalisation of the organisation’s workplan and the transition to taking on the Institute’s statutory functions in April 2017. Further information about the roles and duties of the Board members will be provided when the public appointments process is complete.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer given by the then Prime Minister, on 29 June 2016, Official Report, column 1294, when his Department will confirm details of the additional compensation to be offered to Southern Rail passengers following the recent strikes and disruption to the regular timetable.

Paul Maynard

The Department is currently reviewing compensation options and a decision will be made in due course. Govia Thameslink Railway already offers passengers Delay Repay, one of the most generous compensation schemes in Europe, and customers can claim for disruption against Southern’s permanent timetable.

Looking forward, we have just confirmed that the provisions of the Consumer Rights Act will apply to the rail industry in full from October 2016.

We will set out further plans shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the closure of Goodwood Court medical practice in Hove on patient access to primary care in that town.

Ben Gummer

We are advised by NHS England that Goodwood Court Medical Practice in Hove closed in June 2015 after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) took immediate action to remove the practice’s registration with the regulator. This was in order to protect the safety and welfare of patients following the findings of a CQC inspection at the practice.

NHS England subsequently agreed an interim contract with doctors from the Charter Medical Centre to ensure ongoing care could be provided to affected patients following the closure of the Goodwood Court practice.

The current arrangements with Charter Medical Centre, for the care of former Goodwood Court patients, are due to come to an end on 31 March 2016.

NHS England has recently written to patients and local stakeholders asking for their views which will help to inform future care for patients of Goodwood Court.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to encourage (a) the training of school children in digital skills before they enter the workforce, (b) graduate schemes on digital skills, (c) improving the digital skills of the workforce of firms in the digital technology industry and (d) other initiatives to promote existing professional training and digital skills initiatives; and whether he plans for such initiatives to be supported by the Apprenticeship Levy.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Introduced in September 2014, the new statutory computing curriculum in primary and secondary schools is providing schoolchildren with the digital skills they will need for further study and employment. It is supported by revised computer science A levels, and revised GCSEs will be introduced from 2016. In September 2015 the Higher Education Funding Council for England invited bids for pilot conversion courses in high demand computer science disciplines. This will supply industry with a new stream of graduates with in-demand digital skills from summer 2017.

Additionally, this Government back a free ‘Introduction to Cyber Security’ course raising awareness of cyber security and developing the necessary skills in the sector. This Government is also funding pilots of short courses in key digital skills areas (web design, database management and digital marketing), designed and accredited by business.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-25.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of people aged (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 there will be in England in (i) 2016, (ii) 2017, (iii) 2018, (iv) 2019 and (v) 2020.

Mr Rob Wilson

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the apprenticeship targets for public sector organisations announced in the report, English Apprenticeships: Our 2020 Vision, published on 7 December 2015, will include targets for the creation of apprenticeships at Level 3 and above.

Nick Boles

We do not intend to set any targets for the creation of apprenticeships at specific levels.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of funding for apprenticeships in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16 was allocated to apprenticeships in the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector.

Nick Boles

Estimated funding for Apprenticeships in the Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Sector Subject Area in 2014/15 was approximately £353million, that is, 24.9% of the total estimated funding for 2014/15. This data is not available for 2015/16. Figures for estimated funding come from the Individualised Learner Record and provide an indication of the level of government funding. They should not be treated as actual spend, since spending is not reported by Sector Subject Area.

Information on actual spend is available for the financial year 2014-15 at the link below and shows a total spend of £1.56bn for Apprenticeships.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/446591/SFA_Annual_Report_2014_to_2015_PRINT_200715.pdf

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