Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

48718

	registered interest
	date	28/04/2014
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether he has given advice to the Government on whether the removal of President Yanukovich was in accord with the provisions of Article III of the Constitution of Ukraine.
	tabling member constituency	Gainsborough
	tabling member printed	Sir Edward Leigh
	uin	196900
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>By long-standing convention, observed by successive administrations and embodied in the Ministerial Code, the fact that the Law Officers may or may not have advised or have been requested to advise on a particular issue, and the content of any advice, is not disclosed outside Government.</p> answering member constituency North East Hertfordshire answering member printed Oliver Heald question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 69 label Biography information for Sir Oliver Heald
	tabling member	345 label Biography information for Sir Edward Leigh

48418

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of higher apprenticeships in Lancashire.
	tabling member constituency	Fylde
	tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
	uin	196486
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>Higher apprenticeship starts in Lancashire Local Education Authority have increased from 40 in the 2009/10 academic year to 370 in 2012/13.</p><p> </p><p>The Budget announced £20 million over 2014-15 and 2015-16 for new support for employer investment in apprenticeships in England up to postgraduate level, which will provide apprentices with the technical skills that employers need. This will complement the £80 million funding over 2014-15 and 2015-16 for 20,000 more higher apprenticeships announced in the autumn statement – more than doubling current volumes.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies

48425

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2014, Official Report, column 744W, on National Careers Service, what assessment his Department has made of the National Careers Service's progress in achieving its key strategic aims for marketing.
	tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
	tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
	uin	196641
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The National Careers Service marketing strategy using targeted on-line activity has been pursued since October 2013.</p><p> </p><p>Through regular market research we have seen an increase in awareness[1] of the support the National Careers Service offers since the campaign started from 24 per cent to 29 per cent. All of the targeted groups show a greater awareness than the remainder of those sampled:</p><p> </p><p>· Awareness among individuals looking to advance their career has increased by 28 per cent increase to 39 per cent;</p><p>· Awareness among those who are looking for a better job to support a change in circumstances has increased by 14 per cent to 32 per cent;</p><p>· Awareness among those who have been or are about to be made redundant has remained broadly the same with 37 per cent aware of the Service.</p><p> </p><p>Over 56 per cent of these three groups are likely to use the Service, compared with only 8 per cent of others surveyed.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><br /><p>[1] Both spontaneous and prompted.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

48495

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will name each further education college in Greater London.
	tabling member constituency	Tottenham
	tabling member printed	Mr David Lammy
	uin	196694
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>Further Education Colleges incorporated under section 16 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 in Greater London are as follows:</p><p> </p><p>Barking and Dagenham College</p><p>Barnet and Southgate College</p><p>Bexley College</p><p>Bromley College of Further and Higher Education</p><p>Capel Manor College</p><p>Carshalton College</p><p>LeSoCo</p><p>City and Islington College</p><p>City of Westminster College</p><p>College of North West London</p><p>Croydon College</p><p>Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College</p><p>Greenwich Community College</p><p>Hackney Community College</p><p>Harrow College</p><p>Havering College of Further and Higher Education</p><p>Kensington and Chelsea College</p><p>Kingston College</p><p>Newham College of Further Education</p><p>Redbridge College</p><p>Richmond Adult and Community College</p><p>Richmond upon Thames College</p><p>South Thames College</p><p>Stanmore College</p><p>The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London</p><p>Tower Hamlets College</p><p>Uxbridge College</p><p>Waltham Forest College</p><p>West Thames College</p><p>Westminster Kingsway College</p><p> </p><p>Further Education Colleges Designated under section 28 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 in Greater London</p><p> </p><p>Hillcroft College</p><p>Marine Society College of the Sea</p><p>Morley College</p><p>Workers' Educational Association</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	206 label Biography information for Mr David Lammy

48113

	registered interest
	date	10/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what levels of stock his Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.
	tabling member constituency	Wokingham
	tabling member printed	Mr John Redwood
	uin	196195
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Staff are encouraged to help reduce waste in the Department by avoiding printing documents unless completely necessary and by reusing or recycling stationery where appropriate. The default setting on BIS printers is to print in black and white and to print double sided. This uses less energy and ink and cuts down on the demand for paper and reduces costs.</p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
	tabling member	14 label Biography information for Sir John Redwood

48120

	registered interest
	date	10/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many disqualification reports were submitted by each Official Receiver's office in the year ending 31 March 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	196334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>Detailed in the following table is the office breakdown for the number of disqualification reports submitted in the year ended 31 March 2014.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>OR Offices</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of reports submitted</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Anglia</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Central Midlands</p></td><td><p>25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Midlands &amp; S Yorks</p></td><td><p>29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Greater Manchester</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Humber and E Yorks</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Kent</p></td><td><p>9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London - Essex</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London - Herts, Bucks</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mid West and N Wales</p></td><td><p>21</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North East</p></td><td><p>19</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North West</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Central</p></td><td><p>9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Wales</p></td><td><p>26</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South West</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Surrey and Sussex</p></td><td><p>24</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West England</p></td><td><p>17</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>289</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>PIU</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North</p></td><td><p>71</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South</p></td><td><p>36</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>107</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

48125

	registered interest
	date	10/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the annual (a) total cost and (b) cost per (i) female and (ii) male employee of maternity and paternity leave.
	tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
	tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
	uin	196413
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The Government carried out an analysis of the costs and benefits of providing leave for mothers and fathers in the impact assessment which accompanied its consultation on the administration of shared parental leave which was published in February 2013. This can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/110692/13-651-modern-workplaces-shared-parental-leave-and-pay-impact-assessment2.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/110692/13-651-modern-workplaces-shared-parental-leave-and-pay-impact-assessment2.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>The impact assessment reflects the fact that there are costs for both the Exchequer and business associated with the taking of maternity and paternity leave. Business costs include, for example, where employers provide occupational maternity or paternity schemes which go beyond the statutory minimum, and the costs associated with recruiting staff to cover a period of absence.</p><p> </p><p>In relation to Exchequer costs, the Government collects data on the total amount of statutory paternity pay and statutory maternity pay paid to employees by employers and uses this to estimate the numbers taking paternity/maternity leave and the size of average, or average weekly, claims. These figures represent the cost to the Exchequer rather than business as statutory payments can be reclaimed by the employer. The latest available figures for the costs to the Exchequer are as follows:</p><p> </p><p><strong>Maternity pay and maternity allowance</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of claimants commencing in year 2011/12</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total claimed</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average claim (2010/11)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Maternity Pay</p></td><td><p>355,000</p></td><td><p>£2.2 billion</p></td><td><p>£5,890</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Source: Expenditure is from employer returns to HMRC and is the average amount recovered by employers. Average claim and spells commencing is based on L2 data (a 1% sample of HMRC National Insurance Contribution records). </strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average number of claimants at any one time: May 2013</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total Expenditure: 2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average weekly claim: May 2013</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Maternity Allowance</p></td><td><p>57,400</p></td><td><p>£395 million</p></td><td><p>£117.57</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Source: A combination of DWP accounting data and 5% Administrative Data. Further figures on Maternity Allowance are available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/maternity-allowance-quarterly-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/maternity-allowance-quarterly-statistics</a></strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><ol type="1"><li><strong>SMP</strong><strong>Expenditure is subject to change due to late returns submitted by employers to HM Revenue and Customs.</strong></li><li><strong>Maternity allowance weekly amounts are the average in payment at the end of May 2013.</strong></li><li><strong>Maternity allowance claimants exclude a small number of clerical cases and only include those with a successful claim to Maternity Allowance. </strong></li></ol><p><strong>Paternity pay</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of claimants</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total claimed</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average claim</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012/13 </strong></p></td><td colspan="3"><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay</p></td><td><p>208,600</p></td><td><p>£50.3 million</p></td><td><p>£241.25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Additional Statutory Paternity Pay</p></td><td><p>3,867</p></td><td><p>£5.8 million</p></td><td><p>£1,218</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Note: All figures are estimates using the HMRC CANDIF database. Figures are calculated using a 2% or 3% scan of employer National Insurance returns and scaling the results up to create a 100% estimate. Scan conducted in January 2014.</strong></p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
	tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

47878

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in establishing the effect of school reporting metrics on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as a destination.
	tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
	tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
	uin	195984
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195985 195987 195989 195990 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

47879

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in increasing the number of higher apprenticeships in the professional and business services sector.
	tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
	tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
	uin	195989
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195984 195985 195987 195990 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

47880

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in (a) developing a clearing house for professional and business services higher apprenticeship applicants and (b) helping small and medium-sized enterprises access this talent pool.
	tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
	tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
	uin	195985
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195984 195987 195989 195990 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright