Tag: Phil Boswell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-07-06.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed Apprenticeship Levy on Barnett consequentials.

Greg Hands

We applied the Barnett Formula in the usual way to changes in departmental budgets at the 2015 Spending Review, which included spending funded by the levy. We are working closely with the devolved administrations to ensure that the share of the levy they receive is fair and transparent, and to make the system work for employers wherever they are in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in its report, Is Britain Fairer, published in October 2015, that (a) there are persistent gender pay gaps among graduates and (b) employment and earnings premiums among graduates are lower for women than for men.

Caroline Dinenage

The EHRC is an independent body, and its report ‘Is Britain Fairer?’ covers a five-year period 2008-13 across both the Labour and coalition governments. We welcome the positive areas of progress it refers to and note the challenges it raises. The information in the report will be used by the EHRC to help develop its next strategic plan, covering the period 2016-19.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-12-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the value was of Government subsidies and financial incentives to retail companies to encourage the creation of apprenticeships in the retail sector since 2010.

Nick Boles

Information on the value of apprenticeships funding allocation is not broken down by business type. Since May 2010, there have been 504,900 apprenticeship starts in the retail sector subject area.

In England, the Government provides funding for training where employers hire an apprentice and currently fully funds apprenticeship training for 16 -18 year olds and up to 50% of apprenticeship training for over 19s.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 20474, how much funding has been allocated to apprenticeships in the retail and commercial enterprise sector subject area since 2010.

Nick Boles

The table below shows estimated funding values for apprenticeships in the Retail and Commercial Enterprise sector subject areas between academic year 2009/10 and 2014/15.

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.

Table 1: Estimated Funding for Apprenticeships in Retail and Commercial Enterprise, 2009/10 to 2014/15

Academic Year	Estimated Funding (£millions)
2009/10	179
2010/11	211
2011/12	230
2012/13	217
2013/14	212
2014/15	211

Notes:

1) Figures show estimated (notional) funding and should not be treated as actual spend.

3) Figures do not include estimated (notional) funding for LEOP, EOP or apprenticeship standards, which is not available

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the findings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on page 5 of its report, Engineered in Britain, published in December 2015, if he will take steps to increase the confidence of the public and manufacturers in Government support for the manufacturing sector.

Anna Soubry

The Government is creating a highly competitive business environment that makes the UK an attractive location for new manufacturing investment and drives strong productivity growth and export success. We are securing the place of UK Manufacturers at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is why we have invested £300m over five years in the High Value Manufacturing Catapult to support the commercialisation of the innovation and new technologies that will be crucial to UK manufacturing success.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of in-work conditionality under universal credit on the number of people offered (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment.

Justin Tomlinson

The in-work progression Randomised Control Trial is currently being expanded following a successful proof of concept stage. It is too early to provide any assessment of its impact.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in its report, Is Britain Fairer, published in October 2015, that up to 2013 there was a decline in both earnings and full-time employment for younger workers, despite them being more likely to be better qualified than previous generations.

Nick Boles

Since 2013 employment has risen by over a million people and the UK’s employment rate is at a record high. The Government is creating employment opportunities for all age groups. Since the first quarter of 2010, youth unemployment has fallen and 229,000 more young people are in employment.

Skills remain important for delivering better employment outcomes for younger workers. The lifetime benefits to apprentices are between £48,000 and £74,000 for Level 2 and between £77,000 and £117,000 for Level 3 Apprenticeships. The average graduate of higher education will earn over £100,000 more over their lifetime than a similar individual who completed their education with 2 or more A levels. The Government is therefore ensuring further and higher education providers are more responsive to the needs of employers, and that young people get the rights skills for the job market.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-12-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether Government subsidies and financial incentives to retail companies to encourage the creation of apprenticeships in the retail sector were given to companies known to use zero-hours or casual contract since 2010.

Nick Boles

We do not hold this information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value is of the personal independence payment assessment contract with ATOS; what the main key performance indicators (KPIs) are under that contract; and what the (a) financial and (b) other penalties are for failure to meet KPIs.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department has two Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contracts with Atos, each covering a geographical area. North of England & Scotland (Lot 1) has a value of £206,703,507. London & South of England (Lot 3) has a value of £183,894,556.

There are a number of Service Levels (Key Performance Indicators are not used in PIP contracts) which Atos are required to deliver to meet the Department’s service requirements. These are detailed in the attached Annex 1. In addition, a number of interim Service Levels have been introduced to address specific performance targets.

In the event Atos fail to achieve a key service level, contracts provide for Service Credits to be applied. Service Credits are a contractual remedy applied to Atos to recognise the loss of service received and to ensure any performance issues are rectified quickly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies on encouraging school leavers to consider careers in science and mathematics of the conclusion of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in its report, Engineered in Britain, published in December 2015, on the rate of change in the numbers of school leavers considering such careers.

Nick Gibb

The Government is determined to increase the number of young people studying science and mathematics This includes an ambition that by 2020 we want to see a 20% increase in A level entries by girls to these subjects. Since 2010, there have been 28,000 more science and mathematics A level entries.

In order to attract the best and brightest into the teaching profession, we are offering bursaries and scholarships of up to £30,000 to attract top science and mathematics graduates into teaching. We are also investing up to £67 million to recruit 2,500 additional maths and physics teachers and upskill 15,000 existing non-specialist teachers over the lifetime of this parliament. We welcome the contribution that the Institution of Mechanical Engineers is making through its programme of two-week industrial placements which will give teachers a better understanding of the application of science and engineering in the real world.

The Government is also taking action to ensure that young people are making well-informed choices about their future which include a good understanding of the value of science and mathematics subjects. Programmes such as STEM ambassadors and the Big Bang Fair are aimed at raising awareness of the range of careers that science and technical qualifications offer. The Government also supports the industry-led Your Life campaign which aims to transform perceptions of science and maths.

We want to transform careers education and guidance so that all young people can access high quality support when they need it. The Government plans to publish a comprehensive careers strategy later this year to outline this government’s plans for improving careers provision by 2020. Over this parliament we are committing a total of £70 million to our strategy. As part of this, we will provide further funding for The Careers & Enterprise Company to embed and further extend its projects already underway, including the Enterprise Adviser Network, its Careers and Enterprise Fund, its research and wider activity to bring schools, colleges, business and careers and enterprise organisations closer together.