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1651970

registered interest
date	11/07/2023
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	Universal Credit: Parents
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support parents on Universal Credit into work.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	193357
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2023 answer text <p>The Spring Budget included transformative childcare plans for parents, children and the economy. By 2027-28, the government expects to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.</p><p> </p><p>The reforms announced build on our current entitlements and childcare offers, which includes the universal 15-hour offer for all 3- and 4-year-olds, a 15-hour offer for the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds, the existing 30 hours offer for 3- and 4-year-olds, as well as Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/07/2023 14:02:43 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1651973

registered interest
date	11/07/2023
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	Jobcentres
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to expand the support available through Jobcentres.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	193360
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2023 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for getting people into work and making work pay. We want everyone to be able to find a job, progress in work and thrive in the labour market. In addition to our core regime of job centre support we also announced a wide-ranging package of measures at Spring Budget designed to support people to enter work, increase their working hours and extend their working lives. We also announced specific support targeted on those with disabilities or health issues, and together the package represents an investment of £3.5bn over 5 years.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/07/2023 14:03:29 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1651791

registered interest
date	05/07/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Ashford Hospital
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that Woking residents can access Ashford hospital.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	905909
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2023 answer text <p>I congratulate my Honourable Friend for his efforts and ongoing campaign and petition to secure a direct bus route between Woking and Ashford Hospital in Surrey.</p><p>He has made me aware that increasing numbers of appointments for Woking residents have been scheduled at Ashford Hospital over recent times and that current public transport links between Woking and the hospital are far from ideal.</p><p>To help expand wider access Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has received £15 million in the 2020/21 to 2021/22 period for the expansion of the emergency department and urgent treatment centre that serves, amongst others, the Woking area. This scheme is completed, and the site is operational.</p><p>In addition to this, the trust was also allocated £10 million in the 2022/23 to 2023/24 period from our Elective Recovery Targeted Investment Fund for theatres and procedure rooms.</p><p>I wish my Honourable Friend a successful outcome to his important campaign on this matter.</p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Steve Barclay question first answered 12/07/2023 12:43:23 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1609867

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Exports
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps her Department is taking to support businesses to export.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	180000
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>The Government’s Export Strategy supports UK business through a 12-Point Plan that targets barriers to trade and makes Government support easier to access through our trans-formed Export Support Service. We continue to drive awareness of the UK’s Free Trade Agreements to ensure businesses reap the full benefits from these.</p><p>The creation of the Department for Business and Trade presents a huge opportunity to maximise our business support including the new ‘Help to Grow’ initiative that helps SMEs scale up then export globally as well as access to the right finance via UK Export Finance and the British Business Bank.</p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 24/04/2023 13:43:20 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1609868

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Technology: Trade Promotion
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to increase trade opportunities for the technology sector.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	180001
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>The Prime Minister has set a clear ambition to grow the UK as a Science and Technology Superpower. Core to this is the need to have UK companies growing through international expansion. My Department is supporting this growth through our teams in over 100 countries, sourcing opportunities for UK companies in sectors such as AI and Quantum. DBT also supports tech companies to access global markets through putting them on the world stage at large overseas trade shows such as Mobile World Congress and Web Summit. The Export Academy, which supports businesses from all sectors, and the Export Support Service – International Markets, which handled over 9,600 enquiries since launch in April 2022 - February 2023, help organisations with their international expansion.</p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 24/04/2023 12:10:59 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1609869

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Trade Promotion: Africa
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to increase trade with growing economies in Africa.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	180002
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>My department has a team of experts across Africa supporting British businesses to thrive and increasing trade and investment. We are using our 9 trade agreements covering 18 African nations to grow trade. These provide preferential access to UK markets for African goods and frameworks for cooperation. The Developing Countries Trading Scheme will lower tariffs to support an additional 33 African countries to increase exports. We are also working bilaterally to deepen relationships with growing African economies. In 2024, the Prime Minister will host the second UK-African Investment Summit to showcase investment opportunities and advance two-way trade.</p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 24/04/2023 12:44:30 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1609870

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the standard of teaching in schools.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	180003
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>The quality of teaching is the most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for children, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Department is transforming the training and support for new and existing teachers and aims to deliver 500,000 teacher training and development courses by the end of 2024.</p><p>The Department has introduced improved quality requirements that all initial teacher training (ITT) courses must meet from September 2024. This is based on a review by an expert advisory group, and 179 providers have been successful following a rigorous accreditation process in 2022 designed to drive up the quality and consistency of teacher training. Together with the new Early Career Framework, these reforms will ensure that new teachers will now benefit from at least three years of evidence based training, across ITT and into their induction.</p><p>The Department has also provided a renewed suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) for teachers and school leaders at all levels, from those who want to develop expertise in high quality teaching practice to those leading multiple schools across trusts. Since autumn 2021, eligible teachers and leaders have been able to access scholarships to undertake fully-funded NPQs.</p><p>These measures will create a golden thread of teacher training running from ITT through to school leadership, rooting teacher and leader development in the best available evidence.</p><p>The Department is also funding several subject specific curriculum programmes that help improve the quality of teaching and offer high quality Career Professional Development for schools. The Department funds a range of networks of curriculum hubs for subjects including maths, science, computing, English, languages, and music. Plans to expand the reach of maths hubs support were announced on 17 April 2023. Further details can be found on here: <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-04-17/hcws715" target="_blank">https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-04-17/hcws715</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 24/04/2023 14:08:36 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1609871

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Degrees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the uptake of degree apprenticeships.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	180004
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>There were over 43,000 starts at levels 6 and 7 in the 2021/22 academic year, which is an increase of 10.3% on the previous year.</p><p>The department wants to see continued growth year-on-year in degree-level apprenticeships, and want to ensure that these opportunities are accessible to young people from all backgrounds. To support this, over the next two years the department is making up to £40 million available to higher education providers through the Strategic Priorities Grant, to grow their degree apprenticeship provision and form new employer partnerships, on top of the department’s £8 million investment in 2022/23.</p><p>We are also promoting apprenticeships in schools and further education colleges to students of all backgrounds through our Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme. The department has published the Higher and Degree apprenticeship vacancy listing, which highlights over 350 vacancies across the country that are available for young people to apply for in 2023 and 2024. This listing is available here: <a href="https://amazingapprenticeships.com/app/uploads/2022/11/Higher-Degree-Listing-FEB-2023.pdf" target="_blank">https://amazingapprenticeships.com/app/uploads/2022/11/Higher-Degree-Listing-FEB-2023.pdf</a>.</p><p>In addition, the department is working with UCAS on the expansion of their apprenticeships service. From this autumn, young people will see more personalised options on UCAS, including apprenticeships. This will help put technical and vocational education on an equal footing with traditional academic routes.</p><p>Alongside this, the department continues to work on a programme of ‘simplification’, exploring ways we can remove unnecessary bureaucracy, complexity, and barriers to engagement for apprentices, employers, and providers.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 24/04/2023 12:38:32 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1609872

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Higher Technical Qualifications
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the uptake of higher technical qualifications.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	180005
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>The department is delivering reforms to increase the profile, prestige and uptake of higher technical education. Central to this is the introduction of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs). Increasing uptake in HTQs is key to help people climb the ladder of opportunity and progress to more highly skilled jobs and careers.</p><p>HTQs became available for teaching from September 2022, starting with Digital HTQs. There are over 70 providers able to deliver HTQs from September 2022, with the majority being further education colleges. 106 qualifications have now been approved as HTQs across Digital, Construction and Health and Science routes, with HTQs in the latter two routes available for teaching from September this year. HTQs across all occupational routes are due to be rolled out by academic year 2025/26 where relevant occupational standards are available.</p><p>To support more people studying HTQs as they roll out, we are promoting HTQs as part of national government skills communications and engagement campaigns for young people, adults and employers, as well as working with partners such as UCAS and National Careers Service to improve the information and support available.</p><p>We have also announced investments of around £70 million to date to support the growth of high quality higher technical education (HTE). This includes supporting providers to grow capacity through the HTE Growth Fund and Skills Injection Fund. We are also supporting the Open University to deliver validation services and support for up to 10 further education providers to give them the confidence and capability to deliver the courses local people want and develop the skills base local employers need.</p><p>The department has extended student finance access for HTQs. From September 2023 learners studying HTQs part-time will be able to access maintenance loans, as they can with degrees. This will help learners fit study around work and other commitments.</p><p>HTQs will be among the first courses eligible for modular funding when the Lifelong Loan Entitlement launches in academic year 2025/26, as announced on 7 March 2023, providing more flexible options for learning.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 24/04/2023 14:45:30 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1609873

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Education and Training: Skilled Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that education and training programmes meet local skills needs.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	180006
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>The department is working with colleagues across government to put employers at the heart of local skills systems, through the rollout of Local Skills Improvement Plans. These employer-led plans will help ensure that skills provision better meets the needs of employers and helps people develop the skills they need to get good jobs and succeed.</p><p>Additionally, the Unit for Future Skills (UFS) was set up in 2022 to provide decision makers in the skills system with information they need to invest in the right skills to meet national and local employer needs and support economic growth.</p><p>The UFS proactively works across departments and with organisations beyond government to:</p><ul><li>Improve the coverage and timeliness of jobs and skills data to provide a robust foundation of research and data.</li><li>Structure and improve access to the data by linking up data sets, mapping education, skills and jobs at local levels and providing tools that enable exploration of the data.</li><li>Provide insights to enable learning, thinking and discussion on skills data and research as a centre of expertise for skills data and future insights on the labour market.</li></ul><p>For example, the Local Skills Dashboard supports local skills planning and delivery, including up-to-date information and published data on local skills, education and employment. Data is provided at bespoke geographies, including Local Skills Improvement Plan areas, in an easy-to-navigate format alongside links to additional resources and data downloads. The dashboard is available at: <a href="https://department-for-education.shinyapps.io/local-skills-dashboard/" target="_blank">https://department-for-education.shinyapps.io/local-skills-dashboard/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 24/04/2023 15:13:36 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord