{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Shabana+Mahmood&answeringDeptId=60", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Shabana+Mahmood&answeringDeptId=60", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Shabana+Mahmood&answeringDeptId=60&_metadata=all", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Shabana+Mahmood&_page=0&answeringDeptId=60", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Shabana+Mahmood&answeringDeptId=60", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Shabana+Mahmood&answeringDeptId=60", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1626529", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1626529/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government\u2019s qualifications reforms are designed to ensure that qualifications at level 3 and below are necessary, high quality, and have a clear purpose. A levels and T Levels should be at the heart of level 3 study programmes going forward. We do allow for other small, alternative academic qualifications in strategically important areas, and additional technical qualifications in areas not covered by T Levels, in specialist occupations and in cross cutting areas, such as health and safety. Our new system places the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education occupational standards at the heart of technical education, because these have been designed by employers and will give young people the knowledge, skills and behaviours that employers need.<\/p>
The number of further education qualifications from which the department has removed funding approval in the last two years is 5,768 (2021/22 and 2022/23 funding years).<\/p>
This includes qualifications where funding approval has been removed as a result of the qualification having no or low publicly funded demand, or where qualifications have been reformed and newer qualifications developed in their place, for instance the introduction of new Essential Digital Skills Qualifications, which replaced older ICT qualifications.<\/p>
This does not cover where an awarding organisation decides to discontinue one of its qualifications or where a college, or other education and training provider, decides to stop offering a qualification.<\/p>
The department has not removed funding approval from any higher-level qualifications in the last two years.<\/p>
Where the department intends to remove funding approval from qualifications, further education (FE) colleges or other education and training providers are made aware through the publication and communication of initial lists of qualifications in scope. There is a process for awarding organisations to appeal the decision to remove funding approval, and FE colleges or other education and training providers are encouraged to work with awarding organisations to submit evidence for appeals.<\/p>
It is also important to point out that the department has and continues to consult on broader qualifications reform with colleges and other education and training providers.<\/p>
In the last two funding years, 450 arts qualifications and 36 science qualifications have had funding approval removed. 5,282 other vocational and technical qualifications have also had funding approval removed during this period.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3985", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Halfon"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harlow"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robert Halfon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-05-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "184342"} , {"_value" : "184343"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-05-18T10:23:28.627Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-05-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Further Education and Higher Education"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of (a) further and (b) higher education courses that have been discontinued in England in the last two years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3914", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Shabana Mahmood"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Ladywood"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Shabana Mahmood"} ], "uin" : "184341"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1626531", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1626531/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government\u2019s qualifications reforms are designed to ensure that qualifications at level 3 and below are necessary, high quality, and have a clear purpose. A levels and T Levels should be at the heart of level 3 study programmes going forward. We do allow for other small, alternative academic qualifications in strategically important areas, and additional technical qualifications in areas not covered by T Levels, in specialist occupations and in cross cutting areas, such as health and safety. Our new system places the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education occupational standards at the heart of technical education, because these have been designed by employers and will give young people the knowledge, skills and behaviours that employers need.<\/p>
The number of further education qualifications from which the department has removed funding approval in the last two years is 5,768 (2021/22 and 2022/23 funding years).<\/p>
This includes qualifications where funding approval has been removed as a result of the qualification having no or low publicly funded demand, or where qualifications have been reformed and newer qualifications developed in their place, for instance the introduction of new Essential Digital Skills Qualifications, which replaced older ICT qualifications.<\/p>
This does not cover where an awarding organisation decides to discontinue one of its qualifications or where a college, or other education and training provider, decides to stop offering a qualification.<\/p>
The department has not removed funding approval from any higher-level qualifications in the last two years.<\/p>
Where the department intends to remove funding approval from qualifications, further education (FE) colleges or other education and training providers are made aware through the publication and communication of initial lists of qualifications in scope. There is a process for awarding organisations to appeal the decision to remove funding approval, and FE colleges or other education and training providers are encouraged to work with awarding organisations to submit evidence for appeals.<\/p>
It is also important to point out that the department has and continues to consult on broader qualifications reform with colleges and other education and training providers.<\/p>
In the last two funding years, 450 arts qualifications and 36 science qualifications have had funding approval removed. 5,282 other vocational and technical qualifications have also had funding approval removed during this period.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3985", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Halfon"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harlow"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robert Halfon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-05-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "184341"} , {"_value" : "184343"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-05-18T10:23:28.673Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-05-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Further Education: Public Consultation"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department consulted with Further Education colleges on the discontinuation of courses.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3914", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Shabana Mahmood"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Ladywood"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Shabana Mahmood"} ], "uin" : "184342"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1626532", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1626532/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government\u2019s qualifications reforms are designed to ensure that qualifications at level 3 and below are necessary, high quality, and have a clear purpose. A levels and T Levels should be at the heart of level 3 study programmes going forward. We do allow for other small, alternative academic qualifications in strategically important areas, and additional technical qualifications in areas not covered by T Levels, in specialist occupations and in cross cutting areas, such as health and safety. Our new system places the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education occupational standards at the heart of technical education, because these have been designed by employers and will give young people the knowledge, skills and behaviours that employers need.<\/p>
The number of further education qualifications from which the department has removed funding approval in the last two years is 5,768 (2021/22 and 2022/23 funding years).<\/p>
This includes qualifications where funding approval has been removed as a result of the qualification having no or low publicly funded demand, or where qualifications have been reformed and newer qualifications developed in their place, for instance the introduction of new Essential Digital Skills Qualifications, which replaced older ICT qualifications.<\/p>
This does not cover where an awarding organisation decides to discontinue one of its qualifications or where a college, or other education and training provider, decides to stop offering a qualification.<\/p>
The department has not removed funding approval from any higher-level qualifications in the last two years.<\/p>
Where the department intends to remove funding approval from qualifications, further education (FE) colleges or other education and training providers are made aware through the publication and communication of initial lists of qualifications in scope. There is a process for awarding organisations to appeal the decision to remove funding approval, and FE colleges or other education and training providers are encouraged to work with awarding organisations to submit evidence for appeals.<\/p>
It is also important to point out that the department has and continues to consult on broader qualifications reform with colleges and other education and training providers.<\/p>
In the last two funding years, 450 arts qualifications and 36 science qualifications have had funding approval removed. 5,282 other vocational and technical qualifications have also had funding approval removed during this period.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3985", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Halfon"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harlow"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robert Halfon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-05-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "184341"} , {"_value" : "184342"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-05-18T10:23:28.72Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-05-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Further Education"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number of further education (a) arts, (b) vocational, (c) science and (d) technical courses that have been discontinued in the last two years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3914", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Shabana Mahmood"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Ladywood"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Shabana Mahmood"} ], "uin" : "184343"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1417360", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1417360/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The department will continue to fund a range of qualifications similar to current Applied General qualifications that can be taken alongside and as alternatives to A levels where they meet new criteria for quality and necessity. These qualifications will continue to play an important role for students taking mixed programmes with A levels and to support progression to higher education in areas where there are no A levels or T Levels.<\/p>
Overall, we expect the impacts of our reforms to be positive because students will have access to higher quality qualifications in future, including new T Levels. This will put students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, in a stronger position to progress into further study or skilled employment. We are committed to supporting students to progress onto T Levels in future and have launched the T Level Transition Programme for those who are not yet ready to progress to a T Level but have the potential to succeed on it after some further preparation. We will also be exploring further through the upcoming consultation on study at level 2 and below what additional forms of support students may need to be ready to move onto A levels and other academic qualifications at level 3.<\/p>
The impact assessment published alongside the response to the level 3 review consultation recognises that there will be some cost to providers in implementing changes, but we have not made an estimate of the overall cost to providers of changes stemming from the review. The updated impact assessment published alongside the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill in October 2021 provided some estimates of costs of providers familiarising themselves with the new qualification categories. However, the most significant costs are likely to come from the implementation of T Levels and we have provided significant support for providers to enable them to switch. This includes over £400 million in capital funding to put in place the industry standard equipment and facilities needed to deliver the first four T Level waves, over £200 million to build capacity for industry placements delivery, and the launch of the T Level Professional Development offer, which has so far ensured that almost 8,500 teachers and leaders have the support they need to deliver T Levels well.<\/p>
Our reforms to the qualifications landscape are rightly ambitious, but we know that we would be wrong to push too hard and risk compromising quality. In November, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, adjusted the reform timetable to allow an additional year of T Level implementation before overlapping qualifications are removed. This extra year will allow us to continue to work hard to support the growth of T Levels and gives more notice to providers, awarding organisations, employers, students and parents so that they can prepare for the changes when they come in from August 2024.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4613", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Burghart"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brentwood and Ongar"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alex Burghart"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-02-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "113080"} , {"_value" : "113081"} , {"_value" : "113082"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-02-03T16:55:37.493Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-01-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Vocational Education: Qualifications"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the impact on providers of the Department\u2019s proposed timeline of one year for withdrawing funding for Applied General Qualifications.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3914", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Shabana Mahmood"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Ladywood"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Shabana Mahmood"} ], "uin" : "113079"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1417361", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1417361/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The department will continue to fund a range of qualifications similar to current Applied General qualifications that can be taken alongside and as alternatives to A levels where they meet new criteria for quality and necessity. These qualifications will continue to play an important role for students taking mixed programmes with A levels and to support progression to higher education in areas where there are no A levels or T Levels.<\/p>
Overall, we expect the impacts of our reforms to be positive because students will have access to higher quality qualifications in future, including new T Levels. This will put students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, in a stronger position to progress into further study or skilled employment. We are committed to supporting students to progress onto T Levels in future and have launched the T Level Transition Programme for those who are not yet ready to progress to a T Level but have the potential to succeed on it after some further preparation. We will also be exploring further through the upcoming consultation on study at level 2 and below what additional forms of support students may need to be ready to move onto A levels and other academic qualifications at level 3.<\/p>
The impact assessment published alongside the response to the level 3 review consultation recognises that there will be some cost to providers in implementing changes, but we have not made an estimate of the overall cost to providers of changes stemming from the review. The updated impact assessment published alongside the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill in October 2021 provided some estimates of costs of providers familiarising themselves with the new qualification categories. However, the most significant costs are likely to come from the implementation of T Levels and we have provided significant support for providers to enable them to switch. This includes over £400 million in capital funding to put in place the industry standard equipment and facilities needed to deliver the first four T Level waves, over £200 million to build capacity for industry placements delivery, and the launch of the T Level Professional Development offer, which has so far ensured that almost 8,500 teachers and leaders have the support they need to deliver T Levels well.<\/p>
Our reforms to the qualifications landscape are rightly ambitious, but we know that we would be wrong to push too hard and risk compromising quality. In November, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, adjusted the reform timetable to allow an additional year of T Level implementation before overlapping qualifications are removed. This extra year will allow us to continue to work hard to support the growth of T Levels and gives more notice to providers, awarding organisations, employers, students and parents so that they can prepare for the changes when they come in from August 2024.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4613", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Burghart"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brentwood and Ongar"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alex Burghart"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-02-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "113079"} , {"_value" : "113081"} , {"_value" : "113082"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-02-03T16:55:37.547Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-01-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Vocational Education: Qualifications"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that education providers are supported in making changes to their curriculum offer that will be necessary following the withdrawal of funding for Applied General Qualifications.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3914", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Shabana Mahmood"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Ladywood"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Shabana Mahmood"} ], "uin" : "113080"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1417362", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1417362/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The department will continue to fund a range of qualifications similar to current Applied General qualifications that can be taken alongside and as alternatives to A levels where they meet new criteria for quality and necessity. These qualifications will continue to play an important role for students taking mixed programmes with A levels and to support progression to higher education in areas where there are no A levels or T Levels.<\/p>
Overall, we expect the impacts of our reforms to be positive because students will have access to higher quality qualifications in future, including new T Levels. This will put students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, in a stronger position to progress into further study or skilled employment. We are committed to supporting students to progress onto T Levels in future and have launched the T Level Transition Programme for those who are not yet ready to progress to a T Level but have the potential to succeed on it after some further preparation. We will also be exploring further through the upcoming consultation on study at level 2 and below what additional forms of support students may need to be ready to move onto A levels and other academic qualifications at level 3.<\/p>
The impact assessment published alongside the response to the level 3 review consultation recognises that there will be some cost to providers in implementing changes, but we have not made an estimate of the overall cost to providers of changes stemming from the review. The updated impact assessment published alongside the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill in October 2021 provided some estimates of costs of providers familiarising themselves with the new qualification categories. However, the most significant costs are likely to come from the implementation of T Levels and we have provided significant support for providers to enable them to switch. This includes over £400 million in capital funding to put in place the industry standard equipment and facilities needed to deliver the first four T Level waves, over £200 million to build capacity for industry placements delivery, and the launch of the T Level Professional Development offer, which has so far ensured that almost 8,500 teachers and leaders have the support they need to deliver T Levels well.<\/p>
Our reforms to the qualifications landscape are rightly ambitious, but we know that we would be wrong to push too hard and risk compromising quality. In November, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, adjusted the reform timetable to allow an additional year of T Level implementation before overlapping qualifications are removed. This extra year will allow us to continue to work hard to support the growth of T Levels and gives more notice to providers, awarding organisations, employers, students and parents so that they can prepare for the changes when they come in from August 2024.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4613", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Burghart"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brentwood and Ongar"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alex Burghart"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-02-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "113079"} , {"_value" : "113080"} , {"_value" : "113082"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-02-03T16:55:37.593Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-01-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Vocational Education: Qualifications"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has been made of the potential cost to (a) providers and (b) the public purse for the changes to providers\u2019 curriculum offer that will be necessary following the withdrawal of funding for Applied General Qualifications.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3914", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Shabana Mahmood"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Ladywood"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Shabana Mahmood"} ], "uin" : "113081"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1417363", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1417363/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The department will continue to fund a range of qualifications similar to current Applied General qualifications that can be taken alongside and as alternatives to A levels where they meet new criteria for quality and necessity. These qualifications will continue to play an important role for students taking mixed programmes with A levels and to support progression to higher education in areas where there are no A levels or T Levels.<\/p>
Overall, we expect the impacts of our reforms to be positive because students will have access to higher quality qualifications in future, including new T Levels. This will put students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, in a stronger position to progress into further study or skilled employment. We are committed to supporting students to progress onto T Levels in future and have launched the T Level Transition Programme for those who are not yet ready to progress to a T Level but have the potential to succeed on it after some further preparation. We will also be exploring further through the upcoming consultation on study at level 2 and below what additional forms of support students may need to be ready to move onto A levels and other academic qualifications at level 3.<\/p>
The impact assessment published alongside the response to the level 3 review consultation recognises that there will be some cost to providers in implementing changes, but we have not made an estimate of the overall cost to providers of changes stemming from the review. The updated impact assessment published alongside the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill in October 2021 provided some estimates of costs of providers familiarising themselves with the new qualification categories. However, the most significant costs are likely to come from the implementation of T Levels and we have provided significant support for providers to enable them to switch. This includes over £400 million in capital funding to put in place the industry standard equipment and facilities needed to deliver the first four T Level waves, over £200 million to build capacity for industry placements delivery, and the launch of the T Level Professional Development offer, which has so far ensured that almost 8,500 teachers and leaders have the support they need to deliver T Levels well.<\/p>
Our reforms to the qualifications landscape are rightly ambitious, but we know that we would be wrong to push too hard and risk compromising quality. In November, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, adjusted the reform timetable to allow an additional year of T Level implementation before overlapping qualifications are removed. This extra year will allow us to continue to work hard to support the growth of T Levels and gives more notice to providers, awarding organisations, employers, students and parents so that they can prepare for the changes when they come in from August 2024.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4613", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Burghart"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brentwood and Ongar"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alex Burghart"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-02-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "113079"} , {"_value" : "113080"} , {"_value" : "113081"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-02-03T16:55:37.64Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-01-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Vocational Education: Qualifications"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are not impacted adversely by the withdrawal of funding for Applied General Qualifications.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3914", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Shabana Mahmood"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Ladywood"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Shabana Mahmood"} ], "uin" : "113082"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1279883", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1279883/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services. The Department is securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people through the Get Help With Technology programme. This programme enables schools to support disadvantaged children in Years 3 to 11 who would not otherwise have access to an appropriate device for online learning.<\/p>
As of Monday 8 February 2021, this includes over 980,000 laptops and tablets that were delivered to schools, academy trusts and local authorities.<\/p>
All schools, academy trusts, and local authorities have now been given the opportunity to order devices. Laptops and tablets are owned by schools, academy trusts or local authorities to lend to children and young people who need them most during the current COVID-19 restrictions.<\/p>