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47897

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that exporters of intangible goods can access the resources of UK Export Finance.
tabling member constituency	Windsor
tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
uin	196127
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2014 answer text <p>UK Export Finance can provide support for intangibles, such as software licenses, where they are provided in connection with goods or services. As far as the supply of intangibles by themselves are concerned, UK Export Finance has initiated a public consultation on proposals to widen its powers under its enabling legislation, the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991 (as amended). These proposals include giving UK Export Finance the ability to support exports of intangible goods such as intellectual property rights by themselves. If, having regard to the responses to that consultation, it is deemed to implement these proposals, they will form part of a Bill that will be introduced in the next session of Parliament.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Michael Fallon question first answered 01/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 88 label Biography information for Sir Michael Fallon
tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

47900

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what research his Department has commissioned into the effects of reducing funding to further, higher and adult education.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	196108
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p>Changes to the Student Finance system weredesigned to meet the Government's aims of increased dynamism and student choice. If the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) recurrent grant for teaching and the estimated fee income from students subject to regulated fees is combined, the overall Higher Education Institution resource from teaching actually rises from around £7.9 billion in 2011-12 to almost £8.5 billion in 2013-14. It has the potential to reach £9.9billion in 2015-16 dependant on recruitment.</p><p> </p><p>BIS has asked HEFCE to monitor the impact of the Higher Education (HE) reforms introduced in 2012 to assess the effect of changes. In March 2013, HEFCE published their first update “Higher Education – Impact of the 2012 reforms”. This is available online at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.hefce.ac.uk/about/intro/abouthighereducationinengland/impact" target="_blank">http://www.hefce.ac.uk/about/intro/abouthighereducationinengland/impact</a>/</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This was followed a year later by an updated report entitled “Higher Education in England 2014” published on 10 April 2014. This provides an overview of recent shifts and longer-term trends in publicly-funded higher education and considers possible further changes and continuities in the year ahead. This is available online at: <a href="http://www.hefce.ac.uk/heinengland/2014/" target="_blank">http://www.hefce.ac.uk/heinengland/2014/</a></p><p> </p><p>Analysts in my Department also monitor the impact of any changes to funding methods for Higher Education using leading data on applications for places. The latest application figures published by UCAS inJanuary 2014show that young people have not been put off applying to university. The application rate for young people from England has risen to 34.8% this year, the highest ever.</p><p> </p><p>In Further Education, while the budget for adult skills has reduced, savings have been made in a way that protects the vulnerable and supports economic growth, ensuring that Government funding provides value for money. Overall funding for adult further education and skills is £4.1bn in 2014-15 financial year; of that £3.4bn will be granted to the Skills Funding Agency to support learners.</p><p> </p><p>Because of the reforms we have put in place, more learners are taught today than under the last policy:</p><p> </p><p>· Over 1 million adult learners have participated in government-funded English and maths training in each of the last two years - higher than in previous years.</p><p>· In 2012/13, there were 973,000 learners participating in Full Level 2 courses (similar to 2008/09), and 495,000 learners participating in Full Level 3 courses (up 16.8% on 2008/09).</p><p>· There were 869,000 funded Apprentices participating in 2012/13 - almost double the number in 2008/09.</p><p>· Advanced Learning Loans have been successfully introduced, encouraging 60,000 people to apply to take training courses at Level 3 and above.</p><p> </p><p>An evaluation published in October 2013 - based on a survey of nearly 500 colleges and providers - showed that there is strong support in the sector for the overall aims and objectives of the reforms. This report - 'Further education and skills reform plan 'New Challenges, New Chances': evaluation' - is published at the link below:</p><p><a title="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-and-skills-reform-plan-new-challenges-new-chances-evaluation" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-and-skills-reform-plan-new-challenges-new-chances-evaluation" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-and-skills-reform-plan-new-challenges-new-chances-evaluation</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Mr David Willetts question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 53 label Biography information for Lord Willetts
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

48090

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what revenue the Government received through student loan repayments in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.
tabling member constituency	Preston
tabling member printed	Mark Hendrick
uin	196183
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p>Information on the repayment of student loans is published in the Statistical First Release<em>“Student Loans for Higher Education in England”</em>. The latest publication is available at the following link.</p><p><a href="http://www.slc.co.uk/statistics/national-statistics/newnationalstatistics2.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.slc.co.uk/statistics/national-statistics/newnationalstatistics2.aspx</a></p><p> </p><p>The amounts repaid via HMRC through Pay As You Earn (PAYE) or directly to Student Loans Company (SLC) in the financial years 2009-10 to 2012-13 have been provided in the table. The statistics include repayments made on outstanding debt from both Mortgage Style and Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) loans.</p><p> </p><p>Statistics referring to the financial year 2013-14 will be published in June 2014.</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5"><p><strong>Student Loan Repayments Financial Years 2009-10 to 2012-13 : amounts (£m)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2009-10</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2010-11</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011-12</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012-13</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Repaid directly by customer to SLC</strong></p></td><td><p>302.2</p></td><td><p>326.5</p></td><td><p>294.6</p></td><td><p>256.9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Reported by HMRC as collected via PAYE and Self-Assessment</strong></p></td><td><p>726.4</p></td><td><p>850.0</p></td><td><p>1,044.9</p></td><td><p>1,185.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Refunded by SLC to customer</strong></p></td><td><p>-18.8</p></td><td><p>-33.6</p></td><td><p>-33.6</p></td><td><p>-35.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total amount repaid, including interest, during the financial year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1,009.7</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1,143.0</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1,305.9</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1,406.8</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="5"><p><em>Source: Statistical First Release Student Loans for Higher Education in England</em></p><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="5"><p>Notes:</p><p>- Repayments are shown in the financial year when they are posted to customer accounts. The SLC are notified of repayments by HMRC, usually within one year of the end of the tax year to which they relate.</p><p> </p><p>- Refunds can occur when an account holder has overpaid SLC in previous financial periods for various reasons.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Mr David Willetts question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 53 label Biography information for Lord Willetts
tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

47894

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether information included in the registry of company beneficial ownership information will be available for free.
tabling member constituency	Cheltenham
tabling member printed	Martin Horwood
uin	196058
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p>Companies House is a Trading Fund and must recover the costs for the services it provides where there are clear identifiable costs. However, Companies House already provides a lot of company data for free, including company appointments. It is actively working to increase the amount of data available for free and company beneficial ownership information will form part of this ongoing strategy.</p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
tabling member	1499 label Biography information for Martin Horwood

47895

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether information included in the registry of company beneficial ownership information will be cross-checked against data held by (a) passport authorities, (b) vehicle licensing authorities, (c) electoral registers and (d) other databases.
tabling member constituency	Cheltenham
tabling member printed	Martin Horwood
uin	196059
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>Companies House currently undertakes a range of checks across the breadth of documents delivered to them. In 2012-13 over 400,000 documents were rejected because they did not pass these checks.</p><p> </p><p>We are carefully considering whether any further reform is necessary, whilst ensuring the UK's company registration regime remains quick, simple and inexpensive. We do not however envisage that this would include cross-checking data against other sources of information.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
tabling member	1499 label Biography information for Martin Horwood

47896

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the registry of company beneficial ownership information will contain a description of how the beneficial owner exercises control over (a) a company, (b) names of the chain of companies that demonstrate a person is the beneficial owner and (c) any other means by which a person exercises control over a company.
tabling member constituency	Cheltenham
tabling member printed	Martin Horwood
uin	196061
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p>As outlined in the Government's response to the <em>Transparency and Trust </em>discussion paper we are continuing to develop how details of the beneficial interest are to be recorded on the company's register and at Companies House. We intend that this information will allow users of the register to build a meaningful picture of the company's ownership and control structure.</p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
tabling member	1499 label Biography information for Martin Horwood

47878

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in establishing the effect of school reporting metrics on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as a destination.
tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
uin	195984
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195985 195987 195989 195990 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

47879

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in increasing the number of higher apprenticeships in the professional and business services sector.
tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
uin	195989
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195984 195985 195987 195990 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

47880

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in (a) developing a clearing house for professional and business services higher apprenticeship applicants and (b) helping small and medium-sized enterprises access this talent pool.
tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
uin	195985
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195984 195987 195989 195990 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

47881

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what web-based initiatives have been set up to link professional and business services businesses with the education sector.
tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
uin	195990
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195984 195985 195987 195989 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright