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1135833

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the process by which adoptees access intermediary services for contact with biological relatives.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Lloyd Russell-Moyle
	uin	271479
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>We do not have any plans to improve intermediary services for adopted children or adoptees as there is a clear legislation framework in place. Under Section 98 of the Adoption and Children Act (2002) (England and Wales), an adopted person over the age of 18, as well as birth relatives of an adopted adult, now have the legal right to ask an adoption agency or adoption support agency that has registered as an intermediary agency to provide a service to let the adopted relative or birth relative know of their wish for communication. The agency can then seek information from a range of sources to identify and trace the adopted person. This new law came into effect from 30 December 2005. Priority will be given to cases where the adoption order was made on or before 12 November 1975.</p><p> </p><p>Any agency that provides an intermediary service must do so in accordance with the Intermediary Services Regulations (2005). The regulations require the intermediary agency to have regard to the welfare of the applicant, the subject of the application, and any other person who may be identified or otherwise affected by the application.</p><p> </p><p>Ofsted inspect adoption agencies who provide intermediary and birth records counselling to ensure it is well organised and accessible and that adopted adults and birth relatives are appropriately supported to understand their experiences. Where poor performance is found Ofsted set out how services should be improved.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 271478 question first answered 04/07/2019 15:52:34 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4615 label Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle

1135704

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Arts
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of apprenticeship levy money that was (1) paid, and (2) spent, by creative industry companies in the 2018–19 financial year.
	tabling member printed	Lord Foster of Bath
	uin	HL16797
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>The apprenticeship levy is collected by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) from employers with a pay bill in excess of £3 million per year. HMRC does not publish data on levy receipts broken down by sector.</p><p> </p><p>The Education and Skills Funding Agency does not require levy-paying employers to register a sector when they set up an online apprenticeship service account to manage their funds. It is therefore unable to supply information on the sectoral distribution of spending on apprenticeships in the format requested. From discussions with the sector, we recognise that there are some challenges faced by the sector in spending available funds due to the nature of the creative industries’ labour market. We are working closely with them so that they can benefit from apprenticeships.</p><p>We are also working with the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport on an innovative Film and TV Apprenticeships pilot which will enable around 25 apprentices to benefit from hands-on experience on the sets of major films and TV shows.</p><p>Launching later this year, it will explore a new model for how high-quality apprenticeships can be used to deliver multiple placements on film and TV productions, as well as addressing skills shortages.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 11/07/2019 12:01:25 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	214 label Biography information for Lord Foster of Bath

1135847

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Public Consultation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the March 2019 report by the National Audit Office and current inquiry by the Public Accounts Committee into apprenticeships, if he will launch a public consultation on the future of the apprenticeships programme.
	tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
	tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
	uin	271482
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>We welcome the Public Accounts Committee’s recent report and were pleased that the Committee has acknowledged our focus on putting quality at the heart of our apprenticeship reforms.</p><p>The government is carefully considering the Committee’s findings and will respond in due course. We keep all aspects of our policy under review in order that apprenticeships continue to support employers in developing the skills they need to grow, in addition to offering value for money for the taxpayer.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 09/07/2019 15:37:02 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1135848

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether apprenticeship levy-paying employers will continue to be able to use half of the funds that they contribute to the apprenticeship levy; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
	tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
	uin	271483
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>Levy-paying employers are able to use all of the funds that they contribute to the apprenticeship levy and which are available to them in their apprenticeship service account. In addition, employers receive a 10% top-up to the funds entering their account every month which they are also able to spend on apprenticeship training and assessment.</p><p>We continue to keep all aspects of funding policy under review.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 09/07/2019 14:45:42 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1135849

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help apprenticeship levy-paying employers to use more of the levy funding available to them than the 15 per cent that they used between 2017 and 2019; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
	tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
	uin	271484
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>Spending on apprenticeships is demand-led. Employers can choose the type, level and quantity of apprenticeships that they offer, as well as when they offer the apprenticeships, to meet their current and future skills needs.</p><p>Between May 2017 and April 2019, levy-paying employers spent 18% of the funds available to them on the training and assessment of new apprentices. In addition, levy-paying employers will also have benefitted from ongoing funding for apprenticeships for their employees which started prior to the introduction of the levy. They will also benefit from additional payments to support apprentices employed with levy-payers (such as English and Maths teaching and payments to support disadvantaged learners), and 95% of the funding for training for any apprenticeships started once their levy funds have been exhausted.</p><p>The Education and Skills Funding Agency works closely with employers, for example through webinars and employer roadshows, to encourage them to increase the number of apprenticeships that they offer and make the most of the long-term benefits that apprenticeships can bring to their organisations. We have ongoing face-to-face support for over 1,000 of the largest levy-paying employers through our national account managers, and ongoing support via telephone for small and medium-sized enterprises to encourage them to invest their levy funds.</p><p>To further support all employers to make the long-term, sustainable investment in training, we have increased the amount that levy-paying employers can transfer to other employers from 10% to 25%.</p><p>We do not anticipate that all levy-payers will use all the funds in their accounts. Income from the levy is also used to fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 09/07/2019 15:12:08 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1135858

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2019 to Question 267319 on Apprentices: Taxation, how frequently his Department plans to publish expiry of funds information for the apprenticeship levy.
	tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
	tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
	uin	271486
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>We do not currently intend to publish expiry of funds information for the apprenticeship levy as a matter of course.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 09/07/2019 15:21:58 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1135731

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Chartered College of Teaching
	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 work of the Chartered College of Teaching.
	tabling member printed	Lord Lexden
	uin	HL16824
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>In January 2017, The Chartered College of Teaching (CCT) became a new, independent, professional teaching body and now has more than 24,000 members. Their membership offer includes a peer-reviewed and award-winning journal; an online platform for members to share and engage with research; the Chartered Teacher programme to recognise excellence in teaching; and access to teacher networks, conferences and workshops.</p><p>CCT has contributed their expertise to the department; for example, in the development of the Early Career Framework and Recruitment and Retention Strategy, published in January 2019. The department is continuing to work with CCT about their plans to increase membership and support the teaching profession in the future.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 11/07/2019 16:38:18 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	4202 label Biography information for Lord Lexden

1136022

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Department for Education: Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department offers employees a payroll deduction service to enable staff to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	271327
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>Although the department does not offer employees a specific payroll deduction service to enable staff to join a credit union, we offer consolidated voluntary deductions from pay for subscriptions and premiums as well as a Give As You Earn scheme to enable employees to make tax-free donations to charities through payroll.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 09/07/2019 15:07:54 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1135734

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Department for Education: Sanitation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultation they undertook, and with whom, before they decided to convert the communal visitors’ area toilets in Sanctuary Buildings to unisex toilets; and what responses they received.
	tabling member printed	Lord Lucas
	uin	HL16827
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>As part of the department’s actions to make the office environment as inclusive as possible, it introduced a series of gender-neutral toilets. This followed consultation with a range of staff networks representing individuals with different ethnic backgrounds, religions, sexualities and disabilities.</p><p> </p><p>The department endeavours to cater for a diverse variety of visitors to all our offices. The London office receives the most visitors, and for their comfort, we provide toilets in the waiting area in reception. However, there is limited space. To make the area as accessible as possible to all potential visitors, there is a disabled toilet and two gender-neutral toilets. The gender-neutral toilets are walled floor to ceiling cubicles with a shared hand washing and access area.</p><p> </p><p>Visitors who may not wish to use, or may feel uncomfortable using gender-neutral facilities are able to use other toilets in the building. They are available to visitors once they have passed through security or, if they are unable to wait, a member of the reception or security team can escort them to a single sex toilet. The facilities available in London include both gender-neutral toilets and those specifically for each sex; with single sex toilet blocks on all floors and a further 20 gender neutral toilets across five floors.</p><p> </p><p>The department has not yet canvassed views on changes to the toilet facilities in the London office, as the department is about to commence a major refurbishment and upgrade to all its mechanical, electrical, water and drainage systems. As part of this, the department will consult with its staff on toilet facilities.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton grouped question UIN HL16828 HL16829 HL16830 question first answered 11/07/2019 11:41:15 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	1879 label Biography information for Lord Lucas

1135735

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Department for Education: Sanitation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, since the conversion of the communal visitors’ area toilets in Sanctuary Buildings to unisex toilets, they have canvassed views on the effects of that change; and if so, what response they received.
	tabling member printed	Lord Lucas
	uin	HL16828
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>As part of the department’s actions to make the office environment as inclusive as possible, it introduced a series of gender-neutral toilets. This followed consultation with a range of staff networks representing individuals with different ethnic backgrounds, religions, sexualities and disabilities.</p><p> </p><p>The department endeavours to cater for a diverse variety of visitors to all our offices. The London office receives the most visitors, and for their comfort, we provide toilets in the waiting area in reception. However, there is limited space. To make the area as accessible as possible to all potential visitors, there is a disabled toilet and two gender-neutral toilets. The gender-neutral toilets are walled floor to ceiling cubicles with a shared hand washing and access area.</p><p> </p><p>Visitors who may not wish to use, or may feel uncomfortable using gender-neutral facilities are able to use other toilets in the building. They are available to visitors once they have passed through security or, if they are unable to wait, a member of the reception or security team can escort them to a single sex toilet. The facilities available in London include both gender-neutral toilets and those specifically for each sex; with single sex toilet blocks on all floors and a further 20 gender neutral toilets across five floors.</p><p> </p><p>The department has not yet canvassed views on changes to the toilet facilities in the London office, as the department is about to commence a major refurbishment and upgrade to all its mechanical, electrical, water and drainage systems. As part of this, the department will consult with its staff on toilet facilities.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton grouped question UIN HL16827 HL16829 HL16830 question first answered 11/07/2019 11:41:15 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	1879 label Biography information for Lord Lucas