I have rebooted our university access regime to focus on real social mobility.<\/p>
<\/p>
Universities are being asked to set new targets on improving attainment in schools, reducing drop out rates and increasing degree apprenticeships.<\/p>
<\/p>
We are also launching a new National State Scholarship for high achieving young people from lower income households, helping them to fulfil their dreams at university, at a college or in an apprenticeship.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4530", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Michelle Donelan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chippenham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Michelle Donelan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-08T16:15:27.183Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Young People: Disadvantaged"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent steps she has taken to promote equality of opportunity for young people from low income and deprived backgrounds.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4772", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kenny MacAskill"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Lothian"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kenny MacAskill"} ], "uin" : "900379"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1468350", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1468350/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Advancing fairness in the world of work is a key priority for this government. To tackle bias and ensure fairness in the workplace, the Cabinet Office Equality Hub will develop a new scheme for employers, drawing on the expertise of stakeholders in business, civil society and academia, to provide an evidenced framework for improving race equality and progression in the workplace, as set out in Action 71 of the Inclusive Britain response. It will use evidence provided by the Government\u2019s Inclusion at Work Panel, also announced in Inclusive Britain, and employers will be able to sign-up to the scheme voluntarily once it is launched in autumn 2023.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4597", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kemi Badenoch"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Saffron Walden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kemi Badenoch"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-08T16:51:25.623Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Employment: Equality"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to improve workplace fairness and inclusivity.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4107", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Worcestershire"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Harriett Baldwin"} ], "uin" : "900380"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467817", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467817/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Her Majesty\u2019s Passport Office continues to implement a range of measures to help support people seeking to use its urgent services. This work has led to the recent opening of an eighth public counter offering urgent service appointments, and further increasing appointment availability to help support those people who need their passport more quickly.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-08T16:05:45.247Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Passports: Applications"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a waiting list system for people seeking an appointment for an urgent passport renewal.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4603", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Edgbaston"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Preet Kaur Gill"} ], "uin" : "13218"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467846", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467846/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department works to a target of responding to 95% of Hon. Members written correspondence within 20 working days.<\/p>
Performance has been impacted by a significant increase in the volume of correspondence received, including the unprecedented amount of correspondence about the situation in Afghanistan and more recently in Ukraine.<\/p>
The Department continues to prioritise enquiries related to Ukraine and recognises that it has not been able to meet service standard in other cases. MPs can escalate urgent and compassionate cases via the team at Portcullis House.<\/p>
The Department continues to recruit additional resources and has recently been loaned staff from non-operational areas to assist in clearing the backlogs. A detailed recovery plan to support a return to an acceptable service standard is being prepared.<\/p>
Data about intake and performance in answering Hon. Members correspondence are published quarterly with the latest Quarter available at:<\/p>