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1111043

	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The number of households aged 25-34 who are entitled to the Shared Accommodation Rate is available on Stat-Xplore from January 2013 onwards.</p><p> </p><p>An independent evaluation of the 2011/12 Local Housing Allowance reforms including the changes to the Shared Accommodation Rate was published in 2014 - <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-housing-allowance-monitoring-the-impact-of-changes" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-housing-allowance-monitoring-the-impact-of-changes</a></p>
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1121395

	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government has invited all Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in England to develop Local Industrial Strategies. We aim to agree these with all places by early 2020. For Kent, the South East LEP will set out an ambitious long-term vision for the area to increase its productivity, build on its established strengths, and create new opportunities for people and businesses in emerging sectors and industries.</p><p> </p><p>The government know that regions across the UK have different skills needs, so will build on local strengths to deliver opportunities for people wherever they live. One way we will achieve this is through Skills Advisory Panels which bring together local employers and skills providers to pool knowledge on skills and labour market needs and work together to understand and address key local challenges. These Panels will be led by the Local Enterprise Partnership, and will influence Local Industrial Strategy development.</p><p> </p><p>In Kent, and the wider South East LEP area, the government is working in partnership with local business and civic leaders to grow skills and opportunities for workers across the area by:</p><p>- Delivering an increase of 198,900 jobs since 2010 and 31,080 apprenticeship starts last year.</p><p>- Investing £590 million of Growth Deal funding to the South East LEP since 2014. delivering 78,000 jobs, 29,000 homes and attracting a further £960 million extra investment into the South East, including £22 million spent on 29 skills projects.</p><p>- Investing £6.5 million for the Kent and Medway EDGE Hub. .</p><p>- Backing the Innovation Park Medway, within the Kent Enterprise Zone with £4.4 million funding to help attract high quality technology, engineering and manufacturing companies to the area.</p><p>Supporting the Local Enterprise Partnership’s Kent and Medway Growth Hub to help small and medium sized enterprises in the areas access the support they need to grow and thrive.</p>
	tabling member	3987 label Biography information for Rehman Chishti

1111248

	answering body	Department for Transport
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Issues relating to market competition arising from any franchise award are a matter for the winning bidder and the Competition and Markets Authority.</p>
	tabling member	4269 label Biography information for Andy McDonald

1111249

	answering body	Department for Transport
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Franchise Agreement contains change of control provisions. Any potential change in ownership of a transport group holding a franchise would be assessed at the time.</p>
	tabling member	4269 label Biography information for Andy McDonald

1122317

	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Any decision to close a court is not taken lightly, but in circumstances where 41% of our courts operated in 2016-17 at half their available capacity and where we are investing £1 billion in courts and bringing them up to date, the Ministry of Justice has to think carefully about where our court resources are most effectively and efficiently spent.</p>
	tabling member	4342 label Biography information for Liz McInnes

1110124

	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>As of 12 April 2019, 438 former Afghan Locally Employed Staff have been relocated to the UK. This figure includes former FCO and DFID staff and a small number who, although not interpreters, were deemed to have served outside the wire on the front line for 12 consecutive months and were made redundant, and were therefore eligible for relocation.</p>
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1110125

	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>As of 12 April 2019, 845 family members of former Locally Employed Staff (LES) have been relocated to the UK. This figure includes the family members of former FCO and DFID LES and the family members of a small number who, although not interpreters, were deemed to have served outside the wire on the front line for 12 consecutive months and were made redundant and were therefore eligible for relocation.</p>
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1110126

	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Department is currently examining the cases of seven former Locally Employed Staff (LES) to establish their eligibility under the Ex-Gratia Scheme, all of which are expected to be resolved by the end of April.</p><p>If the former LES member is found to be eligible then the relocation process can begin immediately. As no decision has been reached, no family details have been obtained and I am therefore unable to give numbers of family members.</p><p>There are five former LES and twenty-eight family members waiting to relocate to the UK. Three are scheduled to be relocated within the next three months and two have requested that their relocation be temporarily suspended for personal reasons.</p>
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1110127

	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Under the original terms of the Ex-Gratia Scheme, Former Locally Employed Staff (LES) who were deemed eligible for relocation to the UK were required to bring their family members with them at the same time as they themselves were relocated. For a variety of reasons, not all of them did so. 138 former LES were relocated to the UK on their own, but it is not known how many of them may have left behind family members who were eligible for relocation related to the Ex-Gratia Scheme. To join them subsequently, those family members still in Afghanistan were required to meet applicable Home Office immigration rules independently of the Ex-Gratia Scheme.</p><p>The Home Office amended the immigration rules related to the Ex-Gratia Scheme earlier this year and those changes came into effect on 6 April 2019. As of 12 April 2019, the Department has received a single application, though it is estimated that the family members of 30 former LES will be eligible. Applications will be processed as quickly as possible. Ministry of Defence officials expect the majority of family members to arrive within six months of their application.</p>
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1121336

	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Defra did not assess the direct impact of car clubs, daily car rental schemes or other alternatives to private vehicle ownership on the Clean Air Strategy or the roll out of the Clean Air Zones.</p><p> </p><p>The Clean Air Strategy was published in January this year and sets our approach for reducing emissions from a range of sources in order to improve air quality and reduce the impacts on human health and the environment. The policies in the Strategy were subject to extensive consultation, and estimates of the reduction in emissions delivered by these policies were published in April in the National Air Pollution Control Programme.</p><p> </p><p>The Clean Air Zone Framework is designed to provide a consistent approach to the introduction of Clean Air Zones by local authorities in order to help businesses and individuals and support cities to grow and transition to a low emission economy. This will allow businesses and individuals to make straightforward economic decisions about which vehicles to purchase, and how and when they use them. The framework is also designed to encourage local authorities to explore promoting alternative modes of transport, including buses, cycling and walking, and other sustainable transport alternatives.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1110973

	answering body	Home Office
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The annual publication of annual statistics on the use of animals in scientific research in Great Britain is available at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/724611/annual-statistics-scientific-procedures-living-animals-2017.pdf." target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/724611/annual-statistics-scientific-procedures-living-animals-2017.pdf.</a></p><p>Data are available on the number of procedures by species of the animal and for what purpose, and also the number of animals used for the first time in procedures and by purpose. The data show that in 2017 there were 166 procedures on marmosets and tamarins, and 110 marmosets and tamarins used for the first time in procedures.</p><p>Data are not collected on the numbers of animals housed at individual establishments.</p>
	tabling member	44 label Biography information for Sir David Amess

1110975

	answering body	Home Office
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The annual publication of annual statistics on the use of animals in scientific research in Great Britain is available at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/724611/annual-statistics-scientific-procedures-living-animals-2017.pdf." target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/724611/annual-statistics-scientific-procedures-living-animals-2017.pdf.</a></p><p>Data are available on the number of procedures by species of the animal and for what purpose, and also the number of animals used for the first time in procedures and by purpose. The data show that in 2017 there were 166 procedures on marmosets and tamarins, and 110 marmosets and tamarins used for the first time in procedures.</p><p>Data are not collected on the numbers of animals housed at individual establishments.</p>
	tabling member	44 label Biography information for Sir David Amess

1111052

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>​The department does not produce forecasts for apprenticeship starts by level. Apprenticeships are paid jobs and their availability is dependent on employers offering opportunities and hiring apprentices to meet their skills needs; employers can choose which apprenticeships they offer, how many and when.</p>
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1111055

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Research published in 2015 demonstrates the high level of return to investment delivered by the apprenticeship programme. Apprenticeships at level 2 and level 3 deliver £26 and £28 of economic benefits respectively for each pound of government investment. This can be found at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/435166/bis_15_323_Measuring_the_Net_Present_Value_of_Further_Education_in_England.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/435166/bis_15_323_Measuring_the_Net_Present_Value_of_Further_Education_in_England.pdf</a>.</p><p>In October 2018, we published our Further Education: Outcome Based Success publication 2010/11 – 2015/16, which covers the destinations (into employment and learning), earnings and the progression of learners: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-outcome-based-success-measures" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-outcome-based-success-measures</a>.</p><p>The publication reveals the average earnings, by level, of those who achieved an apprenticeship in 2015/16, one year after completion:</p><ul><li>Level 2: £15,700</li><li>Level 3: £17,700</li><li>Level 4: £22,100</li><li>Level 5: £25,100</li></ul><p> </p><p>Over the past few years we have introduced major reforms to apprenticeships. As the system is still adapting, it is too early to know the full economic and earnings benefits that these changes will bring.</p><p>Our Apprenticeships Reform Programme Benefits Realisation Strategy, published in March 2017, sets out a broad range of success measures for the programme. We publish annual progress updates, of which the most recent can be found at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/707896/Progress_report_on_the_Apprenticeships_Reform_Programme_May_2018.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/707896/Progress_report_on_the_Apprenticeships_Reform_Programme_May_2018.pdf</a>.</p><p>We will be publishing our 2019 update shortly.</p><p> </p>
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1111071

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The requirement for a minimum of 20% off-the-job training was introduced to the funding rules in May 2017 alongside other elements of our apprenticeship reforms – including the introduction of the apprenticeship levy. It is not possible to evaluate in isolation the effect of 20% off-the-job training on level 2 apprenticeship starts.</p>
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1111049

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The apprenticeship levy is collected from employers by HM Revenue and Customs.</p><p>The Education and Skills Funding Agency does not require levy-paying employers to register an industry sector when registering an apprenticeship service account and is therefore unable to supply the information on apprenticeships spending by the retail sector since 2017.</p><p> </p>
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1111046

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>HM Treasury provides the Department for Education with a fixed annual budget for apprenticeships, separate from employers’ levy funds. This budget covers the costs of existing apprentices and new apprenticeship starts for all employers, as well as the running costs of the programme.</p><p> </p><p>The amount spent on apprenticeships starts with all employers, by level, between the introduction of the levy in May 2017 and February 2019, is set out in the attached table. The amount spent in levy-paying employers is given separately. Both sets of figures include payments for additional support to learners, such as for English and maths training.</p>
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1111058

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Employers’ levy funds are available for them to use to cover the cost of the training and assessment of their apprentices. Employers have 24 months to spend their funds from the point they enter their accounts. These funds are not used to support the administrative costs of the system.</p><p> </p><p>Separate to this, HM Treasury provides the Department for Education, including the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute), with fixed annual administration and programme budgets.</p><p> </p><p>In 2017-18, the ESFA spent £36 million (equating to less than 2 percent) of the £2 billion apprenticeships programme budget on the cost to deliver and run the programme. In addition, the Institute spent £3.8 million programme budget on running the programme.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education (including the ESFA and the Institute) are also provided with administration budgets. In 2017-18, the administration spend was approximately £6.4 million in the department, and £33 million in the ESFA. This includes an estimate of the proportion of departmental overhead costs attributable to the apprenticeships programme. In addition, £4.6 million related to administration spend for the Institute.</p><p> </p><p>The department will publish spending on the running costs of the programme for 2018-19 in its annual report and accounts.</p><p> </p>
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1111061

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The apprenticeship levy is collected by HM Revenue and Customs from all UK employers with a pay bill in excess of £3 million. In the 2019/20 financial year, it is forecast that UK employers will pay £2.8 billion into the levy. Forecasts for future levy receipts are published by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and updated monthly and they can be found here: <a href="https://obr.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-march-2019/" target="_blank">https://obr.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-march-2019/</a>.</p><p>The amount raised by the levy is distinct from the Department for Education’s ring-fenced apprenticeship budget, which is set to fund apprenticeships in England only. The budget has been set in advance by HM Treasury for the current spending review period which runs until the end of 2019/20.</p><p>In 2019/20, over £2.5 billion will be available for investment in apprenticeships in England. Currently, we expect to remain within budget in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 financial years. The level of funding for the programme beyond 2020 will be determined by the forthcoming Spending Review.</p>
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1111064

	answering body	Treasury
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced on a UK wide basis from 6 April 2017. Employers are charged at 0.5% of their pay bill over £3 million. The latest receipts forecast for the Apprenticeship levy is published by Office for Budget Responsibility which can be found online at:</p><p> </p><p>https://obr.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-march-2019</p><p> </p><p>In 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22, it is forecasted that employers will pay £2.8bn, £2.9bn, and £3.1bn respectively into the Apprenticeship Levy.</p>
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1111067

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>From the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in May 2017 to the end of January 2019, the most recent month for which data are available, levy-paying employers utilised £601 million of the funds available to them to pay for apprenticeship training in England. This represents 15% of the total funds entering employers’ accounts in the same period (£3,905 million). The total drawdown of £601 million does not include other costs, such as incentives and additional payments for disadvantaged apprentices.</p><p>Once levy funds enter employers’ accounts, they can be used to pay for training for 24 months before they begin to expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis. We don’t anticipate that all levy-payers will use all the funds in their accounts, though they are able to. Income from the levy is also used to fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers.</p>
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1110676

	answering body	Department for Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>​Our apprenticeship reforms have put employers in the driving seat, empowering them to design new high-quality standards that give apprentices the skills that employers need. We are replacing old-style apprenticeship frameworks, which employers told us were not equipping apprentices to do the job. There are now over 420 industry-designed standards available for employers to use. We’ve seen strong uptake of these new standards; during the first half of 2018/19 nearly 60% of apprenticeship starts were on them.</p><p>We have introduced the levy to create long-term sustainable investment in high-quality apprenticeship training. Employers are able to choose how to spend their levy, so long as they spend it on apprenticeships. It is important that we maximise the effectiveness of government investment in training and our reforms are making sure that apprenticeships are delivering the high-quality training that both individuals and employers need.</p><p>​We have introduced the register of apprenticeship training providers to give employers assurance that the training received by apprentices will be of a high quality. The register ensures that only providers who are appropriately skilled, ready to deliver, and financially stable can access apprenticeship funding. Employers who want to directly deliver apprenticeship training to their own employees can apply to the register, which remains open for applications.</p>
	tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1110131

	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Members of the Armed Forces have access to employment tribunals concerning a claim under the Equality Act 2010 in connection with certain allegations of discrimination. An employment tribunal will normally wait for the service complaints process to be finished before hearing any case. We have no current plans to broaden these provisions.</p><p>If a Service person has a valid grievance on any other matter relating to their service in the Armed Forces, they may make a service complaint and seek redress. The role of the Service Complaints Ombudsman was created to give complainants who are not satisfied with the outcome or handling of their complaint an independent route to addressing their concerns and to increase the level of independent oversight.</p><p>In certain circumstances, if the complainant remains unhappy with either the decision of the Ministry of Defence or the Ombudsman, they may also challenge those decisions by way of Judicial Review.</p>
	tabling member	3842 label Biography information for Baroness Garden of Frognal

1121435

	answering body	Department for International Trade
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>If we leave the EU without a deal the UK would no longer be able to participate in the EU’s formal information exchange and cooperation mechanisms. In such a scenario the creation of any future UK-EU cooperation and dialogue mechanisms would be subject to negotiation.</p>
	tabling member	4391 label Biography information for Judith Cummins

1121375

	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p>Yes.</p>
	tabling member	4434 label Biography information for Stephen Gethins