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1056740

	registered interest
	date	07/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Erasmus+ Programme
	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 ensure that the UK remains part of the Erasmus programme after 29 March 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	218221
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK government has repeatedly made clear that it values international exchange and collaboration in education and training as part of its vision for a global Britain, and we believe that the UK and European countries should continue to give young people and students the chance to benefit from each other’s world leading universities post-exit.</p><p>In the event that there is no agreement between the UK and the EU on the Withdrawal Agreement – a “no deal” scenario - it is clearly in the interests of both parties to agree how we can ensure that mobilities and projects can be managed smoothly to completion. This will provide clarity and reassurance for both UK and EU students and institutions.</p><p>The government’s guarantee will cover the payment of awards to UK applicants for all successful Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps bids submitted before the end of 2020. Successful bids are those that are approved directly by the European Commission or by the UK National Agency and ratified by the European Commission.</p><p>To provide more clarity, we published a new technical notice at the end of January, which provides detailed guidance to organisations and students on the UK’s anticipated participation in the current Erasmus+ programme (2014 to 2020) in the event of no deal. You can read this here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/erasmus-in-the-uk-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/erasmus-in-the-uk-if-theres-no-brexit-deal" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/erasmus-in-the-uk-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/erasmus-in-the-uk-if-theres-no-brexit-deal</a> .</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 12/02/2019 15:39:32 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1077590

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Visual Impairment
	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 support visually impaired students to (a) study and (b) live independently in higher education.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	226070
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2019 answer text <p>Higher Education providers have legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support disabled students, including those with visual impairments, for example, by making reasonable adjustments. The responsibility to support students should include communicating what support and services are available. Alongside this, eligible students can receive support through Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs), which can help with the costs of additional learning-related equipment, personal support and travel disabled students may incur. Visually impaired students eligible for DSAs receive specialist professional support, for example in making the best use of specialist equipment and in modifying learning materials into accessible formats.</p><p>I recently met organisations who represent visually impaired students, and agreed that the department will work with them to ensure the support available through DSAs continues to enable visually impaired students to participate fully in higher education.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 05/03/2019 11:26:30 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1082366

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Languages: Higher Education
	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 halt the decline in people studying modern languages at university.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	228655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2019 answer text <p>The institutional autonomy of English Higher Education (HE) providers is protected by the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. This includes autonomy over which courses to offer and which students to admit. The role of government is to create the right conditions and incentives so that HE providers are able to help respond to our economic and strategic priorities. We also want to enable students to make informed choices, and for student demand to influence the decisions providers make on what to offer.</p><p>In England, we agree that learning foreign language is important and believe that building the skills and demand for degree courses starts in schools. That is why we are taking a number of steps to support schools in encouraging uptake of language qualifications.</p><p>This includes:</p><ul><li>Introducing the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure in 2010 to halt the decline in the number of pupils taking GCSEs in the core academic subjects. The reformed national curriculum now makes it compulsory for pupils in maintained schools to be taught a foreign language in key stage 2.</li><li>Promoting the value of language qualifications to students who are choosing their GCSEs and to their parents. We recently published and promoted a guidance leaflet for parents, which explains why studying a language, as part of the EBacc, broadens opportunities in both education and employment. Additionally, in February we drew attention to the benefits of studying a language among 13-14 year olds through a social media campaign.</li><li>Supporting schools to increase languages take up through the £10 million Mandarin Excellence Programme and through a £4.8 million modern foreign languages pedagogy pilot programme, which will improve uptake and attainment in languages at key stages 3 to 4, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.</li></ul> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 13/03/2019 16:56:43 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1092625

	registered interest
	date	21/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Life Sciences: Economic Growth
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the role of biomanufacturing in supporting the Government's Clean Growth Strategy.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	235254
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government published the UK’s first ever Bioeconomy Strategy in December 2018. Developed with industry, and trailed in the Clean Growth Strategy, it identifies biomanufacturing and biorefineries as a key route to developing less carbon intensive products for the UK, from energy and fuels to bio-based chemicals, plastics and other materials. Building on the UK’s world class expertise in bioscience and biotechnology, these technologies can be applied across multiple sectors to generate transformational change in productivity and clean growth.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 26/03/2019 17:39:51 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1123939

	registered interest
	date	30/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Overseas Students: EU Nationals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether non-UK EU students will be able to take out loans with the Students Loans Company after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	249238
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2019 answer text <p>We recognise how important it is that students and institutions have information on eligibility for student support before applications for courses open.</p><p>Applications for courses starting in academic year 2020/21 do not open until September 2019. Eligibility and fee arrangements for prospective EU students who apply for tuition fee loans and student finance support in that academic year via the Student Loans Company is under consideration.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 07/05/2019 16:43:10 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1124695

	registered interest
	date	03/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Graduates: Employment
	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 ensure that universities develop courses in consultation with industry professionals to enable graduates to develop adequate skills for the workplace.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	250751
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text <p>It is important that universities focus on ensuring that their graduates have the skills needed, including technical, vocational and transferable skills, to gain a positive outcome from their degree. The primary aim of the Office for Students (OfS), the higher education regulator, is to ensure that higher education delivers positive outcomes for students and that it has a regulatory focus to ensure that students are able to progress into employment or further study.</p><p> </p><p>Collaboration between universities and business is increasingly important, both in the development of work-ready, highly skilled graduates and in contributing to local and regional economic growth. There is already a strong track record of collaboration. For example, Teesside University’s Digital City innovation initiative is helping local small and medium-sized enterprises to place graduate interns in their businesses by providing recruitment support and a 50% contribution towards their salary.</p><p> </p><p>The government is supporting greater collaboration between businesses and universities in a number of ways:</p><ul><li>The OfS, through its Industrial Strategy and Skills Challenge Competition is funding providers (including in collaboration with employers) to develop and implement projects to improve outcomes for graduates who seek employment in their home region. Details of which can be found here: <a href="https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/ofs-challenge-competition-industrial-strategy-and-skills-support-for-local-students-and-graduates/" target="_blank">https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/ofs-challenge-competition-industrial-strategy-and-skills-support-for-local-students-and-graduates/</a>.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Similarly, the UK Research and Innovation 'Strength in Places Fund' is a competitive fund for collaborative bids between research institutions and businesses to support significant regional growth through research and innovation. Details can be found here: <a href="https://www.ukri.org/funding/funding-opportunities/strength-in-places-fund/" target="_blank">https://www.ukri.org/funding/funding-opportunities/strength-in-places-fund/</a>.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>The OfS is providing £20 million for the Institute of Coding which will target a skills gap in digital skills and involves collaboration between education providers and industry. This includes working together to create core content and introducing flexible ways to learn.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>The government also partially funds the National Centre for Universities and Business which promotes, develops and supports university and business collaboration across the UK.</li></ul><p> </p><p>It is important to remember, however, that universities are autonomous institutions and, as such, that they are responsible for the courses that they develop and that the government does not prescribe that certain content needs to be included.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 09/05/2019 16:45:21 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1124698

	registered interest
	date	03/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Graduates: Employment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to data in the Office for National Statistics's quarterly Economic Review published on 2 May 2019, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding that 31 per cent of graduates had more education than was required for the job they were doing in 2017; and what steps the Government is taking to make more effective use of graduates' skills and education.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	250754
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>Employment outcomes for graduates are strong. The recently published Graduate Labour Market Statistics 2018 shows that the employment rate of working-age graduates was 87.7% in 2018, which is 0.3% higher than 2017. This employment rate is 16.1% higher than the rate for non-graduates (71.6%). 65.4% of working-age graduates were employed in highly skilled roles, compared with 22.9% of non-graduates.</p><p> </p><p>The government’s Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term plan to boost productivity by backing businesses to create good jobs and increase the earning power of people throughout the UK by investing in skills, industries and infrastructure. Through this plan, £120 million was provided to fund collaboration between businesses and universities to stimulate local innovation through the Strength in Places Fund.</p><p> </p><p>The primary aim of the Office for Students’ (OfS), the higher education regulator, is to ensure that higher education delivers positive outcomes for students and that it has a regulatory focus to ensure that students are able to progress into employment or further study. The OfS supports graduate employment outcomes in a number of ways. This includes a Challenge Competition, which aims to boost local employment outcomes, and the Institute of Coding, which aims to boost UK digital skills and graduate outcomes.</p><p> </p><p>The government has been improving the information available to students to help them make informed choices when making decisions on higher education providers and subject choice. For example, Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Frameworks, Longitudinal Education Outcomes data and the Higher Education Open Data Competition all provide information to prospective students.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 14/05/2019 09:25:24 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1126953

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Higher Education: EU Countries
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress his Department has made to ensure reciprocal arrangements on student fees with EU partners after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	254753
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>Entitlement to student finance and home fees status in the UK after the implementation period for those outside the scope of the Withdrawal Agreement is under consideration by the UK government and the devolved administrations.</p><p>For EU students already enrolled on courses in the UK, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK government has already provided certainty. Students from the EU starting courses in England in the 2019/20 academic year will continue to be eligible for ‘home fee status’, meaning they will be charged the same tuition fees as UK students and have access to tuition fee loans for the duration of their studies.</p><p>More broadly, the UK government has been engaging directly with their EU counterparts on a range of issues, including securing citizens’ rights reassurances. These span a number of areas including on access to education.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 20/05/2019 15:41:11 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1129131

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Hydroelectric Power: Capital Investment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing investment in pumped hydro storage facilities.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	259048
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>We recognise that electricity storage technologies, including pumped hydro storage, provide an important source of flexibility to our energy system. We currently have around 3GW of storage capacity on our system, of which the vast majority is pumped hydro storage. The Electricity System Operator outlines that, by 2050, there could be 12-29 GW of total storage capacity on our system.</p><p> </p><p>In our Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan, published in July 2017 (and updated in October 2018), Government and Ofgem set out a range of actions to remove barriers to electricity storage. Our work seeks to enable fair access to energy markets in order to create a best in class regulatory framework for the sector and includes several important reforms to our electricity market, including to the balancing mechanism, capacity market and balancing services, which serve to sharpen incentives to invest in storage.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to engage with storage developers, including those of pumped hydro projects, to understand how to facilitate these technologies whilst ensuring best value for consumers and fair competition between different flexibility technologies.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 11/06/2019 15:54:28 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1129247

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Renewable Energy: Job Creation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to create more jobs in the renewable energy sector.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	259056
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>Clean Growth is at the heart of this Government’s modern Industrial Strategy. There are currently 400,000 jobs in the low carbon economy, with the ambition to have 2 million by 2030.</p><p> </p><p>We’ve injected £2.5 billion into low-carbon innovation and earlier this year struck a deal with the offshore wind industry, which will see up to £40 billion worth of infrastructure investment in the UK, creating clean, green electricity, good jobs and sustained growth across the UK. Under the Offshore Wind Sector Deal, industry aims to more than triple the number of ‘green collar’ jobs in the sector to 27,000 by 2030, up from the current figure of 7,200.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 11/06/2019 15:54:37 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly