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1254440

	registered interest
	date	23/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Union Learning Fund
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the ending of the Union Learning Fund from April 2021 on (a) workers affected by covid-19 and (b) the Government’s policy on reducing regional inequality.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	119247
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2020 answer text <p>The main impact COVID-19 has had on the economy and workforce has been a rise in unemployment. We need to help these people reskill where necessary and re-enter into employment. The Union Learning Fund operates mostly through larger employers within unionised parts of the economy and is not designed to help those out of work – only <del class="ministerial">11%</del> <ins class="ministerial">2% </ins>of people supported via the Union Learning Fund are unemployed.</p><p>The decision to no longer support the Union Learning Fund after 31 March 2021 was taken as part of the wider Spending Review discussions and in light of our expanded commitment to skills development through the £2.5 million National Skills Fund, and Lifetime Skills Guarantee. This national fund will support individuals to get the training and qualifications they need wherever they are located and regardless of whether they are able to access the Unionlearn network.</p><p>As part of this expanded commitment, I can confirm all the money will be invested in skills and retraining that will be accessible to all.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 26/11/2020 11:47:56 question first ministerially corrected 02/12/2020 16:01:29 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan previous answer version 64103 answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1184339

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Union Learning Fund
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to continue to provide financial support to the Union Learning Fund beyond the end of March 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
	tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
	uin	28017
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2020 answer text <p>We plan to continue providing financial support to the Union Learning Fund in the next financial year. Funding beyond that is dependent on the outcome of the forthcoming Spending Review.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 16/03/2020 15:25:38 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1242220

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Union Learning Fund
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the independent evaluation of the Union Learning Fund by Exeter University, Union Learning Survey 2018 Results, published in September 2018, whether the Department for Education undertook a further assessment of the Union Learning Fund; and if so, whether (1) that assessment demonstrated a decline in outcomes, and (2) they plan to publish the findings of the assessment.
	tabling member printed	Lord Balfe
	uin	HL9007
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2020 answer text <p>The department did not undertake a further formal evaluation of the Union Learning Fund following the evaluation by Exeter University.</p><p>As part of the Spending Review process, the Department has assessed its priorities across all its objectives, including considering the evidence from the Unionlearn evaluation. The decision to discontinue funding for Unionlearn beyond this financial year reflects the consolidation of investment to support retraining in major new programmes, including the National Skills Fund, which support progression to higher levels of attainment.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 26/10/2020 17:47:15 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	4302 label Biography information for Lord Balfe

1242221

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Union Learning Fund
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consulted with (1) the Trades Union Congress, and (2) individual trade unions, prior to terminating the Union Learning Fund.
	tabling member printed	Lord Balfe
	uin	HL9008
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2020 answer text <p>The government did not consult with any outside bodies prior to making the decision not to continue to provide funding for the Union Learning Fund after 31 March 2021.</p><p>We have made no commitment to funding beyond this date and have always been clear any future funding would depend on the Government’s Spending Review. The decision to cease funding after April 2021 has been communicated at this stage in the Spending Review process in order to give a greater period of notice.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge grouped question UIN HL9009 HL9010 question first answered 26/10/2020 12:50:56 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	4302 label Biography information for Lord Balfe

1242222

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Union Learning Fund
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consulted with (1) employers, and (2) business and trade representative bodies, prior to terminating the Union Learning Fund.
	tabling member printed	Lord Balfe
	uin	HL9009
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2020 answer text <p>The government did not consult with any outside bodies prior to making the decision not to continue to provide funding for the Union Learning Fund after 31 March 2021.</p><p>We have made no commitment to funding beyond this date and have always been clear any future funding would depend on the Government’s Spending Review. The decision to cease funding after April 2021 has been communicated at this stage in the Spending Review process in order to give a greater period of notice.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge grouped question UIN HL9008 HL9010 question first answered 26/10/2020 12:50:57 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	4302 label Biography information for Lord Balfe

1242223

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Union Learning Fund
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consulted with (1) training providers, (2) Sector Skill Councils, and (3) further education organisations, prior to terminating the Union Learning Fund.
	tabling member printed	Lord Balfe
	uin	HL9010
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2020 answer text <p>The government did not consult with any outside bodies prior to making the decision not to continue to provide funding for the Union Learning Fund after 31 March 2021.</p><p>We have made no commitment to funding beyond this date and have always been clear any future funding would depend on the Government’s Spending Review. The decision to cease funding after April 2021 has been communicated at this stage in the Spending Review process in order to give a greater period of notice.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge grouped question UIN HL9008 HL9009 question first answered 26/10/2020 12:50:57 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	4302 label Biography information for Lord Balfe

1242224

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Union Learning Fund
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allocate a proportion of the National Skills Fund to projects that aim to directly engage learners in the workplace, replacing the current work undertaken by Union Learn, following the decision to cease funding for the Union Learning Fund.
	tabling member printed	Lord Balfe
	uin	HL9011
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2020 answer text <p>The government has taken the decision not to continue to provide grant funding to Unionlearn in the next financial year. This decision should not be seen in isolation but as part of the department’s overall plans for improving the skills offer.</p><p>This was a difficult decision. However, we need to prioritise how we use our resources in these challenging times and have decided to concentrate on a number of major investments in further education. The government has announced it will introduce a £2.5 billion National Skills Fund to help adults get the skills they need. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, as part of his Lifetime Skills Guarantee, recently announced that for adults, who do not currently have a level 3 qualification, we will be fully funding their first full level 3, focusing on the valuable courses that will help them get ahead in the labour market. The offer will be funded from the National Skills Fund and offered from April 2021.</p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, also recently announced digital bootcamps to support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies by providing valuable skills. Adults in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Liverpool City Region can now register their interest to take part in the digital bootcamps. In early 2021, the digital bootcamps will also be available in Leeds City Region, Heart of the South West, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. We are planning to expand the bootcamps to more of the country from Spring 2021 and we want to extend this model to include other technical skills training.</p><p>Further plans for the National Skills Fund will be announced in due course.</p><p>Alongside the National Skills Fund, the department has been working to provide further support in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. In his Summer Economic Update, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced investment of over £500 million to deliver a package of support for people to access the training and develop the skills they will need to go on to high-quality, secure and fulfilling employment. The Skills Recovery Package included:</p><ul><li>Apprenticeships: A new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire who is aged 24 or below and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire who is aged 25 and over, from 1 August 2020 to 31 January 2021.</li><li>Traineeships: £111 million to triple the scale and reform traineeships for those aged 16 - 24 (25 with an Education, Health and Care plan), with additional funding available to providers in 2020-21 to support 30,000 new places. We have also introduced, for the first time, payments of £1,000 per trainee for employers who offer new or additional work placements (up to 10 trainees).</li><li>Careers information, advice and guidance: £32 million over two years to help 269,000 more people of all ages receive advice from the National Careers Service.</li><li>Sector-based work academy programme (SWAP): £17 million to triple the number of SWAP placements in 2020/21, enough funding to support an extra 40,000 job seekers with additional training opportunities and the chance of a job.</li></ul><p> </p><p>In addition, the recently announced expansion of The Skills Toolkit means that people can now choose from over 70 courses, covering digital, adult numeracy, employability and work readiness skills, which have been identified as the skills employers need the most. These courses will help people stay in work or take up new jobs and opportunities.</p><p>The government appreciates the importance of adult education to improving people’s life chances. We will continue to explore options within adult education to aid the post COVID-19 recovery.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 26/10/2020 13:07:48 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	4302 label Biography information for Lord Balfe

1244255

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Union Learning Fund
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussion he has had with (a) training providers, (b) Sector Skills Councils and (c) further education representative organisations on the decision to the terminate the Union Learning Fund.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
	uin	104714
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2020 answer text <p>The government’s commitment to the Union Learning Fund has never been open-ended and the current funding was due to cease in April 2021. We have made no commitment to funding beyond this date and have always been clear any future funding would depend on the government’s Spending Review. The decision not to renew funding after April 2021 has been communicated at this stage in the Spending Review process in order to give a greater period of notice.</p><p>As part of our expanded commitment to skills development through the National Skills Fund and Lifetime Skills Guarantee I can confirm all the money will be invested in skills and retraining that will be fully accessible to everyone.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 21/10/2020 16:57:55 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1244368

	registered interest
	date	19/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Union Learning Fund
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the equity of the decision to cease funding to the Union Learning Fund.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
	uin	105353
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2020 answer text <p>The government’s commitment to the Union Learning Fund has never been open-ended and the current funding is due to cease at the end of March 2021. We have always been clear any future funding would depend on the government’s Spending Review.</p><p>The decision considered the impact on Unionlearn and their activities and was taken in light of our expanded commitment to skills development through the National Skills Fund, and Lifetime Skills Guarantee. Overall we are investing much more in adult skills retraining, and doing so through a broad offer, rather than a small dedicated fund promoted through the union network.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 22/10/2020 15:19:12 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1244990

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Union Learning Fund
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Berridge on 30 September (HL8220), why they have ceased funding of the Union Learning Fund with effect from March 2021 when the capacity for the National Skills Fund to replace it is not known.
	tabling member printed	Lord Watson of Invergowrie
	uin	HL9389
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2020 answer text <p>The government’s commitment to the Union Learning Fund has never been open-ended and the current funding was due to cease in April 2021. We have made no commitment to funding beyond this date and have always been clear any future funding would depend on the government’s Spending Review. The decision not to renew funding after April 2021 has been communicated at this stage in the Spending Review process in order to give a greater period of notice.</p><p>The National Skills Fund is a substantial commitment to invest £2.5 billion in skills development over this parliament, which compares to £12 million in the current annual budget for Unionlearn. There is an existing adult entitlement to support any adult without English and Maths level 2 or Digital Skills level 1 to gain those qualifications, which my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister extended in his speech at Exeter College on 29 September 2020, confirming a new Lifetime Learning Guarantee that any adult without a level 3 qualification would be fully funded to obtain one. Reinvesting our existing funding for Unionlearn in our expanded offer will therefore contribute to a much more comprehensive offer in future, accessible to a wide range of learners, helping them to develop their skills and careers.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 02/11/2020 12:45:23 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	1241 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Invergowrie