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1439447

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Further Education: Qualifications
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of choice available for students of streamlining post-16 qualifications.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	137303
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2022 answer text <p>The department is streamlining and improving the quality of the post-16 qualifications system at level 3 and below. We are strengthening the progression pathways, creating clearly defined academic and technical routes with high-quality qualifications leading to further study and/or skilled employment.</p><p>This clarity of purpose will help students to make good choices and see more easily how their study will help them to progress. At level 3, A levels and T Levels will be at the core of study programmes for most young people. For other students, a combination of A levels with other high-quality qualifications will be the right choice.</p><p>As set out in our plans for reform of level 3 qualifications, published in July 2021, students will continue to be able to study qualifications similar to current Applied General Qualifications (AGQs) as part of mixed programmes alongside A levels, where they meet new quality standards and support progression to higher education. For example, students can progress in areas such as engineering, applied science, and information technology. Students will also be able to study qualifications like AGQs as their full programme of study where there is no A level or T Level, in areas such as performing and creative arts, and sports science.</p><p>Qualifications that do not meet new standards or the criteria for funding will not be funded in future. In the department’s impact assessment published alongside its policy statement on level 3 qualifications last summer, we were clear that students taking qualifications that are not funded in future will benefit most from these changes, as they are more likely to be taking qualifications that do not deliver the skills employers need.</p><p>Students will have access to higher-quality qualifications in the future, including new T Levels. This will put them in a stronger position to progress onto further study or skilled employment. We also noted in our impact assessment that some students may find it more difficult to achieve level 3 in future. We are putting in place support for these students, such as the T Level Transition Programme and the pilot academic progression programme, with the aim of improving progression to level 3.</p><p>Alongside reforms to level 3 qualifications, the department wants to improve qualifications and study at level 2, level 1, and entry level. We are currently consulting on proposed reforms to level 2 and below, and the consultation remains open until 27 April 2022.</p><p>Alongside the consultation, the department published its initial impact assessment. This states that we would expect the impact of the proposals at level 2 and below to be generally positive for all students, through an improved qualification landscape that is high-quality and better equips students for progression into employment or further study at higher levels.</p><p>Our proposed reforms will result in a good choice of high-quality qualifications to meet student and employer needs. This will be easier for students and employers to navigate than the current offer of around 8,000 qualifications.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 18/03/2022 12:18:13 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1523436

	registered interest
	date	18/10/2022
	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	Older Workers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help older members of the workforce (a) adapt to and (b) retrain in an evolving job market.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	65718
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2022 answer text <p>As part of the 23 September Growth Plan announcement, the Chancellor announced funding for additional work coach support to over 50s. This will mean more jobseekers across Great Britain receive intensive, tailored support at jobcentres to help them get into, and progress in work, boosting their earnings ahead of retirement.</p><p> </p><p>This funding builds on the existing Spending Review settlement of £20m over the next three years for a new enhanced offer for people aged 50 and over to remain in, and return to work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to adult education and training and the Department for Education has already put in place a wide range of programmes for adults to gain the skills they need for employment, ensuring they have the opportunities to study, upskill and reskill at different points in their life.</p><p> </p><p>We invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (£1.34bn in 2022/23), we are ensuring that apprenticeships are responsive to the different needs of individuals, employers, and the economy, including ensuring older people can access apprenticeships to re-train or upskill.</p><p> </p><p>We have also launched the £2.4b National Skills Fund, which is a significant investment to deliver new opportunities to generations of adults who may have been previously left behind. From 2025 will also introduce a lifelong loan entitlement, enabling more flexible and modular study across higher and further education.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p /><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 26/10/2022 16:57:35 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1523438

	registered interest
	date	18/10/2022
	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	Unemployed People: Cost of Living
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional steps his Department is taking to support people seeking jobs with the cost of living.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	65720
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2022 answer text <p>With 1.25 million job vacancies across the UK, our focus is firmly on supporting people to move into, and progress in work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of poverty.</p><p> </p><p>To help people into work across Great Britain, our Plan for Jobs is providing broad ranging support for all Jobseekers with our Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), Job Entry Targeted Support and Restart scheme. We are extending the support jobcentres provide to people in work and on low incomes to help them to increase their earnings and move into better paid quality jobs. This new in-work progression offer started to roll-out from April 2022. Once fully rolled out, we estimate that around 2.1m low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support. This will be provided by work coaches and focus on removing barriers to progression such as support with childcare or addressing skills gaps.</p><p> </p><p>This new progression offer is in addition to a change the government made last month to the Administrative Earnings Threshold in Universal Credit. By raising the threshold on 26<sup>th</sup> September 2022, approximately 114,000 more UC claimants on the lowest incomes will benefit from regular work coach support. The then Chancellor announced that we would go further and raise the threshold again from January 2023 to expand this support to approximately 120,000 more people.</p><p> </p><p>This is on top of the support already provided by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour and giving nearly 1.7 million families an extra £1,000 a year (on average) through our changes to the Universal Credit taper and work allowances</p><p> </p><p>The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>This also includes up to £650 in cost-of-living Payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which have targeted support at around 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits. In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people have received a one-off disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 and pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 through and as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment from November.</p><p> </p><p>For those who require additional support we have provided an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £421m, running from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 26/10/2022 16:48:48 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1697587

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2024
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	House of Lords: Reform
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the number of sitting peers in the House of Lords.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	19612
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2024 answer text <p>The House of Lords has a key role in scrutinising the executive and as a revising chamber. The Government has made no assessment of the merits of reducing the number of sitting peers and notes that unlike the Commons, peers are not full-time salaried legislators. It is important to focus on the number of peers who attend, and not just the number eligible to sit. Existing mechanisms allow sitting peers to retire or resign.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 28/03/2024 17:26:09 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1657870

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2023
	answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
	answering dept id	215
	answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
	answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
	hansard heading	Petrol: Prices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she is taking steps to ensure (a) fair pricing and (b) continuity across regions for petrol.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	197428
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2023 answer text <p>The Government will consult on the design of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) recommendations to create a statutory open data scheme for road fuel prices and an ongoing road fuels monitoring function this autumn. These two recommendations will help to facilitate competition and fair pricing, nationally and locally, as well as helping tackle regional price disparities.</p><p> </p><p>Until we can put these changes on a statutory footing, the government has supported the CMA to establish an interim voluntary fuel price data sharing scheme, encouraging retailers to share prices daily. The CMA will also continue to monitor fuel prices using its existing powers.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 07/09/2023 10:49:25 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1519585

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Pension Funds: Exchange Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of a depreciating level of currency on pension funds.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	59711
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>Financial market movements are determined by a wide range of domestic and international factors. It is not appropriate for the government to comment on specific currency market movements or the impact on different sectors of the economy.</p><p>We continue to work closely with the Bank of England, Financial Conduct Authority, Debt Management Office and others to monitor markets.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith grouped question UIN 61884 question first answered 18/10/2022 16:39:07 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1521077

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Pension Funds: Exchange Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has assessed the potential impact of a depreciating currency on pension funds.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	61884
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>Financial market movements are determined by a wide range of domestic and international factors. It is not appropriate for the government to comment on specific currency market movements or the impact on different sectors of the economy.</p><p>We continue to work closely with the Bank of England, Financial Conduct Authority, Debt Management Office and others to monitor markets.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith grouped question UIN 59711 question first answered 18/10/2022 16:39:07 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1521079

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Mortgages: Interest Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to help protect people from rises in mortgages rates.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	61886
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2022 answer text <p>Around 75% of residential mortgage borrowers are on fixed-rate deals and are therefore shielded from interest rate rises in the short term.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government has already taken immediate action to help households through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme. This is in addition to the £37 billion of targeted support for the cost of living this financial year.</p><p> </p><p>When mortgage borrowers are in financial difficulty and struggling to pay their mortgage, Financial Conduct Authority guidance requires firms to provide support through tailored forbearance options. This could include measures such as a payment holiday, partial payment, or an extension of mortgage term.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>The Government has also taken a number of measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit, and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes it clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith question first answered 21/10/2022 14:02:33 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1549533

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Financial Services: Age Discrimination
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to help ensure that age discrimination is removed from financial services.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	105320
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2022 answer text <p>The Government is committed to tackling financial exclusion and discrimination and aims for everyone, whatever their background, age or income, to be able to access useful and affordable financial products and services. The Government works closely together with regulators, the financial services industry and other stakeholders, to ensure that all consumers of financial services are appropriately protected.</p><p> </p><p>In February 2021, the FCA published its finalised guidance for firms on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers, setting out a number of areas of best practice. This guidance explores, among other things, how firms can understand the needs of vulnerable customers and provide targeted services for this cohort.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, like all service providers, financial services firms are bound under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, in the way they deliver their services.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith question first answered 09/12/2022 11:03:06 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1565956

	registered interest
	date	11/01/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Economic Growth
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using new and innovative methods to generate economic growth and revenue, in particular in relation to cryptocurrency such as bitcoin, in the context of the current economic climate.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	120917
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2023 answer text <p>The government’s ambition is to make the UK a global hub for cryptoasset technology and investment. In April 2022, the government set out a number of reforms which will see the regulation and aspects of tax treatment of cryptoassets evolve. This included confirming the intention to regulate cryptoassets known as stablecoins and to introduce a ‘financial market infrastructure sandbox’ to enable firms to experiment and innovate. The government will consult on its approach to regulating a broader set of investment-related cryptoasset activities in due course.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is committed to creating a regulatory environment in which firms can innovate, while crucially maintaining financial stability and regulatory standards so that people and businesses can use new technologies both reliably and safely. Recent events in the crypto market reinforce the case for timely, clear and effective regulation.</p><p> </p><p>These measures will help to ensure firms can invest, innovate and scale up in this country.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith question first answered 16/01/2023 13:53:21 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy