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1109703

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	GPT Special Project Management
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, when did Department received a request from the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to give consent to a prosecution in relation to the SFO's investigation into GPT Special Project Management and aspects of the conduct of that organisation's business in Saudi Arabia; and what his Department's response was to the SFO's request.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	240944
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>I am not able to provide any specific information about an on-going investigation by the Serious Fraud Office. I can confirm that I am aware of this case and I receive regular case updates in relation to it.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Torridge and West Devon answering member printed Mr Geoffrey Cox question first answered 10/04/2019 11:41:42 answering member 1508 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Cox
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

1109789

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Housing: Construction
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has a policy is on the coalescence of villages and towns through house building on green wedges between settlements.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
	uin	241022
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>The Government's expectations are set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. This asks local authorities to optimise density in the development of towns, and to recognise the character and beauty of the countryside. Plans should focus development on sustainable locations. The Framework also makes clear that, in rural areas, housing should be located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities.</p><p>It is for local authorities to use their plans to determine the extent of settlements, and say where essential development should go, and where restraint, such as Green Belt, is needed. One of the purposes of Green Belt is to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another. In Green Belt, most types of new housing are to be treated as inappropriate development, and refused planning permission except in very special circumstances.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 10/04/2019 13:54:04 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1109835

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Education: Boys
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress has been made in improving the education outcomes of white, working-class boys.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	240957
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>This government is committed to delivering a high-performing education system in which all pupils, regardless of their background, ethnicity or gender, have the opportunity to go as far as their hard work will take them.</p><p> </p><p>We know that the proportion of children in good or outstanding schools rose from 66% in 2010 to 85% by the end of December 2018, in part due to our reforms – and that the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils, measured by the department’s attainment gap index, has narrowed by 13.2% at the end of key stage 2 and 9.5% at the end of key stage 4 since 2011. But we also know that the average attainment of white boys – and also girls – who are eligible for free school meals remains unacceptably low.</p><p> </p><p>Addressing the educational effects of disadvantage is a priority for the department. We are continuing to provide pupil premium funding – worth more than £2.4 billion in 2018-19 – to help schools improve the progress, attainment and other outcomes of their disadvantaged pupils. White working class boys and girls form the largest group of eligible pupils and so benefit significantly from this extra support. Our recently introduced national funding formula for schools also takes account of socio-economic disadvantage – and low prior attainment – in allocating funding to schools. We have also invested over £137 million in the Education Endowment Foundation, to identify what works to improve disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes and to make this evidence readily available to schools, colleges and early years providers.</p><p> </p><p>We are targeting extra support at some of the poorest areas of the country to raise standards in schools, through our £72 million Opportunity Areas and £24 million Opportunity North East programmes.</p><p> </p><p>We are also working to make sure that more disadvantaged young people can benefit from higher education. In our latest guidance, published in February of this year, we have asked the Office for Students to continue in its efforts to secure greater and faster progress in ensuring that students from disadvantaged and under-represented groups – including students from white working class backgrounds – can not only access but also successfully participate in higher education.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 10/04/2019 16:19:37 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1109724

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	STEM Subjects: Degrees
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps he has taken to encourage more students to study STEM degrees.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow East
	tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
	uin	241025
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>Overall numbers of students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are rising. The share of students studying science subjects at English Higher Education providers has increased from 41% in 2010/11 to 45% in 2016/17.</p><p>Despite rising STEM student numbers, we are far from complacent and we know that employer groups continue to point to an unmet demand for higher level STEM skills. This issue seems to be particularly acute in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, engineering, science and technology. We are therefore implementing a number of initiatives across government to increase the numbers of STEM graduates. For example:</p><ul><li>The Department for Education (DfE) is piloting a conversion course scheme to enable graduates to retrain in engineering and computer science.</li><li>The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are leading a £90 million investment in 1,000 new PhD places, of which around 85% will be in STEM areas, and 40% will aim to boost collaboration between industry and academia.</li><li>The government is providing funding for the new Institute of Coding, which aims to improve digital skills provision at levels 6 and 7. It will target a skills gap in digital skills and involves collaboration between education providers and industry.</li><li>The DfE is also supporting (with £15 million over 3 years) the New Model in Technology &amp; Engineering, a STEM-focused institution due to take its first full cohort of students in 2020.</li><li>Institutes of Technology are being established to help meet STEM skills needs at levels 4 – 6, working closely with local employers and Local Enterprise Partnerships.</li></ul><p>Effective careers guidance and advice is also key to supporting young people to undertake learning in areas that will give them the skills employers are looking for. The government’s careers strategy sets out a long-term plan to build a world class careers system to achieve this ambition. We are increasing the information available to students to ensure they can make informed choices about what and where to study.</p><p>As set out in the Industrial Strategy White Paper, the Skills Advisory Panels (SAPs) programme aims to ensure that the local provision of skills, and the delivery of skills policy in local areas, meets and responds to changing employer needs. SAPs analysis will inform Local Industrial Strategies and local post-16 skills provision, so that skills provision better meets labour market needs.</p><p>Degree apprenticeships also allow universities to build partnerships with businesses and employers and to work together to create a skilled workforce. Employers are working in partnership with universities and professional bodies to meet the high-level technical skills that employers and our economy need to prosper.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 10/04/2019 16:39:45 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1109725

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Overseas Students: Universities
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on ensuring that the UK continues to attract international students to British universities after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow East
	tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
	uin	241026
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>Ministers within the Department for Education have regular discussions with the Home Office on ways to ensure the UK remains an attractive study destination, and the UK already has a strong offer for overseas students who graduate in the UK. International graduates can remain in the UK to work following their studies by switching to several existing visa routes, including Tier 2 (skilled worker) visas.</p><p>As you will be aware, the Immigration White Paper, published in December 2018, proposes increasing the post-study leave period for international students following completion of studies to 12 months for those completing a PhD, and to 6 months for all full-time postgraduate and undergraduate students at institutions with degree awarding powers. These proposals go beyond recommendations set out in the Migration Advisory Committee’s report and will benefit tens of thousands of international students. During the Home Office’s 12-month engagement programme on the Immigration White Paper, business and stakeholders from a wide range of sectors, including the Higher Education sector, will be able to feed in their views on white paper proposals.</p><p>In addition, the International Education Strategy, published on 16 March 2019, sets out actions to continue to provide a welcoming environment for international students, and includes our ambition to increase the number of international students we host to 600,000 by 2030. One of the actions within the strategy includes considering where processes could be improved to improve the visa experience for international students.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 10/04/2019 16:47:37 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1109727

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: Staff
	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 level of (a) female and (b) BAME representation in top university positions.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow East
	tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
	uin	241027
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>Diversity and equality in higher education is a priority for this government. Higher education institutions are independent bodies and responsible for decisions about who they employ. Like every employer they must ensure they meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010.</p><p>Important progress has been made on the number of women in leadership roles in higher education, particularly in the increase in the proportion of female Chairs of Governing Bodies and female Vice-Chancellors. Sector-led gender initiatives, such as the Athena SWAN Charter and the Aurora development scheme, demonstrate the importance the sector attaches to tackling the barriers that hinder women’s progression in higher education careers.</p><p>On 1 February, the government announced measures to tackle ethnic disparities in higher education including encouraging higher education providers to make use of tools such as the Race at Work Charter and the Race Equality Charter to drive forward a step-change in the recruitment and progression of ethnic minority employees.</p><p>The government has also consulted on ethnicity pay reporting in order to inform future government policy.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 10/04/2019 16:06:43 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1109836

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Ethnic Groups
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department are taking to encourage the uptake of apprenticeships amongst ethnic minorities.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	240958
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>We have set an ambitious target to increase the proportion of apprenticeships started by people of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds by 20% by 2020 (up from a baseline average of 10% in the 2010-15 Parliament to 11.9% by 2020). 11.2% (42,200) of total starts in 2017/18 were by people of BAME backgrounds. This is the highest proportion reported over the past 8 years.</p><p> </p><p>The Five Cities Project, launched in February 2018, is promoting the take up of apprenticeships by BAME individuals in Greater Manchester, London, Bristol, Birmingham and Leicester. Many partners are supporting this drive, including large employers such as B&amp;Q, Rolls Royce, and Optimity, local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, apprenticeship providers, schools, and community groups.</p><p> </p><p>Our Apprenticeships Diversity Champions Network (ADCN) has grown to over 70 members since its launch in 2017. It aims to influence the behaviour of other employers to support more people from underrepresented groups, including members of BAME communities, to start apprenticeships. Bristol City Council, an ADCN member, has launched a programme named 'Stepping up', which is providing a route for employees from BAME backgrounds into leadership positions through apprenticeships.</p><p> </p><p>Our new marketing campaign, ‘Fire it Up’, launched in January 2019 and set out to change the way people think about apprenticeships, demonstrating that they are a prestigious option, accessible to people from all backgrounds. ‘Fire it Up’ advertising features clear representation of apprentices from a diverse range of backgrounds, and showcases apprentices from BAME backgrounds in high-status, professional roles.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 10/04/2019 16:21:35 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1109837

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Disability and Specific Learning Difficulties
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the uptake of apprenticeships among people with (a) disabilities and (b) learning difficulties.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	240959
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>The government wants to make sure that the benefits of an apprenticeship are available to all, including people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD). We are developing new communications and guidance products to demonstrate to people with LDD that apprenticeships are an option for them, and to support employers to employ apprentices with LDD. We have integrated the Department for Work and Pension’s Disability Confident campaign into the apprenticeship recruitment service so that the Disability Confident logo is displayed on apprenticeship vacancies for campaign-registered employers.</p><p> </p><p>We are working with local partners through our pacesetter project to test policy approaches and deliver tangible progress towards growing numbers of LDD apprentices. Pacesetters include councils, a school, and the learning disability charity Mencap.</p><p> </p><p>Our Apprenticeships Diversity Champions Network has grown to over 70 members since its launch in 2017. Many members have set aspirational targets for the number of LDD apprentices in their own workforce, and introduced initiatives designed to increase participation: for example, Walsall Council have extended their Positive Action Scheme to include those with special educational needs and disabilities.</p><p> </p><p>Our funding system, which provides additional support to training providers, is intended to encourage the successful take-up and achievement of apprenticeships by those with LDD. We continue to monitor the impact of these measures to ensure they support the achievement of our targets.</p><p> </p><p>We are making progress against our measure of success for a 20% increase in the proportion of starts by people with LDD by 2020 (from a baseline of 9.9% in 2015/16 to 11.9% by 2020). In 2017/18, apprentices from this group made up 11.2% (42,200) of total starts.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 10/04/2019 16:25:51 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1109779

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Government Departments: Advertising
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2019 to Question 238278, what the figures are for Government spending in the last six months on (a) newspaper and magazine and (b) radio adverts on the potential effects of the UK leaving the EU.
	tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
	tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
	uin	240966
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>To date the Cabinet Office have used a range of paid-for and no-cost channels to direct citizens and businesses to a dedicated area on <a href="http://gov.uk/" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a> at Gov.uk/euexit.</p><p> </p><p>The Cabinet Office has undertaken to publish information relating to ongoing expenditure on the public information campaign as part of the department’s regular data transparency releases.</p><p> </p><p>In conjunction, Cabinet Office will disclose full costs regarding future advertising as part of these data sets in due course.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 10/04/2019 09:59:53 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

1109782

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	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	Working Links
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2019 on Working Links, if he will commission a public inquiry into the financial risk to sub-contractors undertaking work for her Department following the (a) collapse of Working Links and (b) difficulties Community and Voluntary Organisations are experiencing obtaining contractual payments
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
	uin	241020
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>The DWP will not be undertaking a public enquiry into the failure of Working Links or the issues that this has caused to their supply chain partners. Ultimately, the failure of Working Links was caused by its subsidiary companies and their Community Rehabilitation Contracts. The DWP’s commercial Employment Category will seek to learn lessons and consider them when developing future commercial strategies.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/04/2019 11:46:42 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris