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1461012

	registered interest
	date	10/05/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Statutory Sick Pay
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the number of people unable to claim statutory sick pay from their employer because their earnings are below the lower earnings level; of these, what proportion are (1) male and (2) female; and what plans, if any, they have to remove the lower earnings limit.
	tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
	uin	HL1
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>As set out in the 2019 “Health is Everyone’s Business” consultation, it is estimated that there are around 2 million employees who earn below the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) and are therefore ineligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Of those, approximately 30% are male and 70% are female.</p><p> </p><p>SSP reform, including extending SSP eligibility to those earning below the LEL, was part of the “Health is Everyone’s Business” consultation in 2019. In the response to the consultation published in 2021, Government stated the pandemic was not the right time to introduce changes to the rate of SSP or its eligibility criteria as this would have placed an immediate and direct cost on employers at a time where many were struggling.</p><p> </p><p>As we learn to live with Covid-19, the Government is continuing to take a broader look at the role of SSP and is keeping the system under review.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 24/05/2022 16:25:21 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1668141

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	VAT: Registration
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the threshold for compulsory registration for VAT; and what plans they have to reinstate the policy of annually updating the threshold in line with inflation.
	tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
	uin	HL1
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2023 answer text <p>Views on the VAT registration threshold are divided and the case for change has been regularly reviewed over the years.</p><p>In 2018, the Government consulted on how the design of the VAT registration threshold could better incentivise growth. However, there was no clear option for reform.</p><p>While the Government keeps all taxes under review, it was announced at Autumn Budget 2022 that the VAT threshold will be maintained at its current level of £85,000 until 31 March 2026.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 21/11/2023 12:00:13 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
	tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1250531

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Numeracy: Young People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings in the OECD Adult Skills survey, published in 2012, which found that the UK is the only country where the numeracy skills of 16- to 24-year-olds were lower than the over-55 age group; and what actions they are taking to address this.
	tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
	uin	HL10144
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2020 answer text <p>We recognise the importance of numeracy skills, both in work and everyday life, as securing good levels of numeracy increases individual productivity and improves earnings and employment opportunities. Our policy is to offer everyone mathematics qualifications and courses which are of high quality and which lead to genuine improvements in skills.</p><p>Since the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development survey was published eight years ago, we have taken a number of steps to improve numeracy skills particularly for this age group.</p><p>We have introduced a requirement that 16 to 19 year old students on a study programme without GCSE mathematics grade 4 or above must continue to study the subject. We have also ensured mathematics skills are a requirement of apprenticeships and T Levels.</p><p>As well as GCSE mathematics, post-16 students can also study Functional Skills mathematics. We have recently reformed these qualifications to improve their rigour and relevance, and to ensure they provide students with the essential skills they need for life and work.</p><p>In 2019, 76.2% of 19 year olds held a level 2 qualification in mathematics, an increase of 3.8 percentage points since 2013/2014 (the year before we required students to continue studying English and mathematics).</p><p>This is in addition to our continued support for adults, through our statutory entitlement. All adults who are yet to achieve a GCSE grade 4 or above, or an equivalent qualification, in mathematics can access this provision free of charge, regardless of income or employment status.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 24/11/2020 14:22:07 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1250532

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, for the most recent year in which figures are available, (1) how many, and (2) what percentage of, companies which pay the apprenticeship levy spent their entire apprenticeship fund in that year.
	tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
	uin	HL10145
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2020 answer text <p>Employers in England who pay the apprenticeship levy can access funds for apprenticeship training by registering for an apprenticeship service account. The funds in employers’ accounts reflect the ‘English percentage’ of an employer’s levy contribution and include a 10% top-up from the government. During the 2019-20 financial year, 15% of employer accounts fully utilised the funds entering the levy-payer’s account. This is shown in the attached table.</p><p>Levy declarations relating to the 2019-20 financial year entered employer accounts between May 2019 and April 2020, as payments enter accounts a month in arrears. Payments relating to the 2019-20 financial year were made between May 2019 and April 2020, also a month in arrears. These payments cover the cost of apprenticeships training only. The cost of any additional payments to employers and/or providers and additional support, such as for English and maths training, is met by the apprenticeship budget and therefore is not deducted from employer’s accounts.</p><p>Employers have 24 months to spend the funds available to them. It is therefore possible for employers to spend more than they declare in a financial year.</p><p>Spending on the apprenticeship programme is demand-led and employers can choose which apprenticeships they offer, how many they offer and when they are offered. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them, but they are able to do so if they wish.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 24/11/2020 14:24:50 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge attachment 1 file name HL10145_table_apprenticeship_levy_accounts_2019_20.pdf title HL10145_table
	tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1250533

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ring-fence an allocation of the apprenticeship levy for the training of people aged between 16 to 24; and if they have such plans, (1) what percentage of the levy they intend to ring-fence, and (2) by when it will be ringfenced.
	tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
	uin	HL10146
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2020 answer text <p>We know that young people are likely to be disproportionately affected by the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. To help businesses offer new apprenticeships, we are providing a payment to employers (in England) of £2,000 if they hire a new apprentice under the age of 25, and £1,500 for apprentices aged 25 or over.</p><p>The levy is an important part of our approach to raising apprenticeship quality and supporting employers to make a long-term, sustainable investment in training. The apprenticeship budget funds the cost of training for both levy-paying and non levy-paying employers, as well as apprenticeships that started prior to the reforms. In the 2020-21 financial year, funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England will remain around £2.5 billion, double what was spent in the 2010-11 financial year. It is for employers to choose the apprenticeships they want for their employees, and so funds are not allocated specifically to support training for apprentices of different ages.</p><p>We are working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop a programme of work, to engage with Kickstart employers and to support them to move young people onto an apprenticeship in their organisation, where this is appropriate. We have recently amended our funding rules to ensure that employers taking on an apprentice who has previously been on the Kickstart scheme is eligible for the incentive payments.</p><p>We are tripling the scale of traineeships, providing an additional 30,000 places in the 2020/21 academic year, to ensure that more young people have access to high-quality training. We have introduced incentive payments of £1,000 per learner for employers who create new work placements available this academic year. Employers that offer traineeships nationally can claim the new payment for up to 10 learners in each region. For those who are not able to take up a job or work-based learning offer, we will fund up to another year of classroom-based study in high value skill areas to support young people’s progression into employment. We will fund extra places for specific high value courses at level 3 and level 2 that are aligned to priority areas for economic recovery.</p><p>Careers information, advice and guidance is crucial to help people to achieve the skills and experience that they need and meet the demands of businesses and employers for a skilled and flexible workforce. That is why we are investing an additional £32 million in the National Careers Service up to March 2022. This investment will provide individual careers advice for 270,000 more people whose jobs or learning have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 20/11/2020 14:56:48 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1250534

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Dentistry
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to remove the annual cap on dentistry places at UK universities.
	tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
	uin	HL10147
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2020 answer text <p>The provision of dentistry training places in the United Kingdom is a devolved issue.</p><p>In England, the Government temporarily lifted the cap on dental school places for students who completed A-Levels in 2020 and who had an offer from a university in England to study dentistry subject to their grades. This ensured a place this year or next for every eligible student.</p><p>The Government has no plans outside this change to remove the cap. However, it is committed to ensuring that the number of dental school places are in line with England’s requirements for dentists and continues to monitor the effectiveness of current arrangements.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 26/11/2020 12:49:39 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
	tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

971868

	registered interest
	date	11/09/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Migrant Workers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the independent Migration Advisory Committee to complete its review of the shortage occupation lists; whether they will publish the findings of that review once it has been completed; and whether they intend to implement its recommendations in full.
	tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
	uin	HL10233
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2018 answer text <p>In July, the Government has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the full composition of the Shortage Occupation List. The MAC has been asked to report by Spring 2019. The review will begin shortly and the MAC will publish its findings and recommendations. The Government will consider all recommendations made by the MAC.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL10234 question first answered 17/09/2018 12:55:46 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

971869

	registered interest
	date	11/09/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Construction: Migrant Workers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the State of Trade Survey: Q3 2017 by the Federation of Master Builders, whether they intend to add carpenters and joiners to the shortage occupation list; and what action they intend to take to address the skills shortage of carpenters and joiners.
	tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
	uin	HL10234
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2018 answer text <p>In July, the Government has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the full composition of the Shortage Occupation List. The MAC has been asked to report by Spring 2019. The review will begin shortly and the MAC will publish its findings and recommendations. The Government will consider all recommendations made by the MAC.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL10233 question first answered 17/09/2018 12:55:46 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

971870

	registered interest
	date	11/09/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Migrant Workers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to introduce the Tier 3 visa for unskilled migrants in order to meet labour shortages.
	tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
	uin	HL10235
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2018 answer text <p>The precise way in which the Government will control migration to the UK following exit from the EU is yet to be determined.</p><p>In July 2017, the Government commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on the economic and social impacts of the UK’s exit from the European Union and also on how the UK’s immigration system should be aligned with a modern industrial strategy. The MAC’s final report is due later this month.</p><p>We will build a comprehensive picture of the needs and interests of all parts of the UK, taking account of the evidence from the MAC, and look to develop a system which works for all.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 17/09/2018 13:01:29 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

971871

	registered interest
	date	11/09/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Nurses: Training
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the withdrawal of the nursing bursary on the number of applications for nursing degree courses in England.
	tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
	uin	HL10236
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2018 answer text <p>The department is working with relevant bodies across health and education to monitor the effects of the healthcare funding reforms, including the impact on application numbers.</p><p> </p><p>There is still strong demand for nursing courses. While the latest UCAS figures for 31 August 2018 show that English acceptances to nursing courses have fallen by 3.7% compared to the previous year, there are still more applicants than places available for them.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Health and Social Care is working with Health Education England and the university sector to ensure students continue to apply for courses up to the end of clearing in October 2018 and in future years.</p><p> </p><p>We have also opened new work-based learning routes into the nursing profession for those who may not be able to study full-time.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 24/09/2018 13:00:40 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington