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5 Nov 2008 : Column 557W—continued

Innovation, Universities and Skills

Apprentices

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the number of new
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apprenticeships that will need to be created in each of the next five years in order to reach the target of ensuring that an apprenticeship place is available for all young people by 2013; and if he will make a statement. [232016]

Mr. Simon: Information on apprenticeships starts are due to be made available next month through the Annual Statement of Priorities published by the Learning and Skills Council. This will include latest estimates of the actual starts for the 2007/08 academic year, and proposals for delivery during 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11. Resources have not yet been made available beyond that period.

World-class Apprenticeships, published earlier this year, confirmed our commitment to making Apprenticeships a high quality option for both young people and adults and set out steps to increase the numbers of people successfully completing an Apprenticeship. In the summer, we published an Apprenticeships Draft Bill to drive and help sustain improvements in the quality of the programme. The first national vacancy matching service for potential apprentices and employers will begin to become operational by the end of this year and in April 2009 the new National Apprenticeship Service with its dedicated field force will be fully established to lead the expansion and improvement of the apprenticeship programme. This focus on continuous improvement will be complemented by an increase in Apprenticeships funding to over £1.1 billion by 2010-11.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department and each of its predecessors spent on apprenticeship schemes in each year since 1997. [232019]

Mr. Simon: Figures showing expenditure for 1997-98 to 2000-01 and for 2001-02 to 2007-08 appear in the following tables.

In the period from 1997-98 to 2000-01 apprenticeships were funded through training and enterprise councils. For this period, figures are available for overall work-based training for young people budget expenditure only, including: Advanced Apprenticeships (formerly Advanced Modern Apprenticeships) at Level 3; Apprenticeships (formerly Foundation Modern Apprenticeships) at Level 2; NVQ Learning (formerly Other Training); and Entry to Employment.

From 2001-02 to date apprenticeships have been funded and delivered by the Learning and Skills Council.

Apprenticeship Expenditure 2001-02 to 2007-08
£ million

2001-02

628

2002-03

743

2003-04

778

2004-05

858

2005-06

824

2006-07

805

2007-08

833

Sources:
LSC Annual Report and Accounts


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Work-based training for young people( 1) Expenditure 1997-98 to 2000-01
£ million

1997-98

740

1998-99

712

1999-2000

800

2000-01

837

(1) Work-based Training for Young People includes: Advanced Apprenticeships (formerly Advanced Modern Apprenticeships) at Level 3; Apprenticeships (formerly Foundation Modern Apprenticeships) at Level 2; NVQ Learning (formerly Other Training); and Entry to Employment.
Source:
1997-98: DFEE Departmental Report
1998-99 to 2000-01: DFES Departmental Reports

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Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department spent on apprenticeships in (a) the most recent year for which figures are available and (b) in each of the previous five years, broken down by main budget heading. [232390]

Mr. Simon: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) publish details of the total spend on Apprenticeships in the LSC’s annual report and accounts. The total spend in the most recent financial year and the previous five years broken down by budget block are provided in the following table.

Analysis of apprenticeship expenditure by budget block
£000
2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03

Grant letter: block A—participation

Youth participation

16 to 18 apprenticeships

603,524

587,732

592,484

615,001

565,260

532,052

Total youth participation

603,524

587,732

592,484

615,001

565,260

532,052

Employer responsive

19+ apprenticeships

223,175

216,884

232,157

243,162

212,807

211,112

25+ apprenticeships

5,719

0

0

0

0

0

Total employer responsive

228,894

216,884

232,157

243,162

212,807

211,112

Total apprenticeships

832,418

804,616

824,641

858,163

778,067

743,164

Source:
LSC Statutory accounts

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what sanctions are available in cases of departmental staff found to have committed disciplinary offences; and how many times each has been used in each of the last three years. [230198]

Mr. Simon: The Department was formed on 28 June 2007. The Department has three categories of misconduct that could result in disciplinary sanctions being applied:

Category Offence Sanction

Minor misconduct

Behaviour that is unacceptable but not serious enough to fall into other categories

Oral or written warning

Serious misconduct

Behaviour that damages the relationship between the individual and their employer

Range of measures from written warning to removal from a specific post.

Gross misconduct

Behaviour that so damages the relationship it would normally be incompatible with continued employment

Dismissal


From the 28 June 2007 to date, there have been no disciplinary offences in any category.

Departmental Liability

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on what dates in each of the last five years his Department informed the House of the creation of contingent liabilities relating to his Department or its non-departmental public bodies. [232733]

Mr. Simon: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created by Machinery of Government Changes at the end of June 2007. Since that date, DIUS has not had any new contingent liabilities. The Department’s Resource Accounts were laid before the House on 21 July 2008 disclosing the latest position on contingent liabilities for the DIUS Department. Prior to this date, contingent liabilities were notified to Parliament by returns submitted by our predecessor Departments—the Department for Education and Skills (now the Department for Children, Schools and Families) and the Department of Trade and Industry (now the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform), who would hold details of the dates these were laid.

Details of contingent liabilities relating to the Department’s non-departmental public bodies will be similarly published in their annual resource accounts.

Departmental Training

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his
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Department spent on external training courses for departmental staff in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008; and which external organisations were paid by the Department to provide such courses in each year. [230510]

Mr. Simon: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of machinery of government changes in June 2007. Information on how much was spent on external training courses prior to this date is not held by the Department. In 2007-08 the Department spent £446,000 on external training providers. These providers included:


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