Previous Section Index Home Page

11 Jan 2010 : Column 816W—continued


Students: Grants

Ms Buck: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students were in receipt of education maintenance grants in each London local authority area in each of the last 10 years. [304517]

Mr. Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.

This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Geoffrey Russell, the LSC's acting chief executive, will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Train to Gain Programme: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding he expects to allocate to Train to Gain in each of the next three years. [308965]

Kevin Brennan: Since its introduction in April 2006, 1.4 million qualifications have been undertaken through the Train to Gain programme. In the 2010-11 financial year, planned investment in Train to Gain will be £983 million, an increase of 6.2 per cent. compared with planned investment for the 2009-10 financial year. Our continuing investment in this programme, and in the broader further education and skills sector, for 2010-11 financial year has recently been set out in the Skills Investment Strategy 2010-11 (November 2009). This is available online

Investment for the 2011-12 financial year and beyond will not be finalised until the outcomes of the next spending review have been determined.

Training

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to paragraph 16 of "Skills for Growth",
11 Jan 2010 : Column 817W
Cm 7641, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the £38 billion spent by employers on skills which is spent on statutory training; and if he will make a statement. [308828]

Kevin Brennan: We do not have a figure for the total spend on statutory training by employers. However, we do know from the National Employer Skills Survey 2007 that only 11 per cent. of employers say that all of their training is in health and safety or induction.

Government are committed to encourage employers to invest more in training, which is vital for businesses success and for employees. We already provide, for example, advice and support for training through Business Link and the Train to Gain programme. And "Skills for Growth", published in November, sets out how we will support employers further: focusing more of the skills budget on growth sectors and the skills that employers tell us are the priorities; responding to immediate and long-term needs; and encouraging employers to invest and use the existing skills of their staff.

Vocational Training

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many organisations have signed the Skills Pledge in each month since it was announced. [307781]

Kevin Brennan: The Skills Pledge is a voluntary, public commitment by the leadership of a company or organisation to support all its employees to develop their basic skills, including literacy and numeracy, and work towards relevant, valuable qualifications to at least level 2 (equivalent to five good GCSEs).

The following table indicates the number of organisations who have signed the Skills Pledge in each month since it was launched in 2007:


11 Jan 2010 : Column 818W
Month Total employers( 1)

960

June to December 2007

(2)-

January 2008

280

February 2008

890

March 2008

460

April 2008

500

May 2008

630

June 2008

960

July 2008

1,250

August 2008

890

September 2008

820

October 2008

1,550

November 2008

1,120

December 2008

970

January 2009

1,530

February 2009

1,660

March 2009

1,840

April 2009

730

May 2009

1,030

June 2009

1,010

July 2009

860

August 2009

740

September 2009

1,100

October 2009

930

(1) Figures rounded to the nearest 10.
(2) Data not available month by month for this period.
Notes:
1. Table shows the number of employers who have formally signed the Skills Pledge in the month shown.
2. Data sourced from Learning and Skills Council December 2009.

Vocational Training: Finance

Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the budget is for (a) the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and (b) his Department's expenditure on skills funding to regional development agencies in 2010-11. [309507]

Kevin Brennan: The grant in aid arrangements for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills in 2010-11 have still to be finalised, but funding amounted to £89 million in 2009-10.

The Department is contributing £42 million in total for skills to regional development agencies in 2010-11 as part of their single pot. Its funding for skills brokerage in Train to Gain, which is delivered through Business Link has yet to be finalised, but amounted to £37 million in 2009-10.

Voluntary Work

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding the Learning and Skills Council has provided to promote volunteering in each local authority area in each of the last three years. [308212]

Kevin Brennan: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) did not fund the promotion of volunteering before 2009. Funding is £2 million for 2009-10; and £2 million for 2010-11.

We do not have funding information broken down by local authority areas.

Work Experience

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many firms have claimed their weekly entitlement towards the cost of providing an internship since September 2009. [307786]

Mr. Lammy: By March 2010, 20,000 graduate internships overall will have been created in the private, public and third sectors to help young people develop the skills they need to build their employability. There will be different models for these internships. Up to 10,000 of these places will be delivered in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses, of which at least 5,000 will receive an allowance towards the cost of the internship. That will provide £100 per week towards the wage costs involved and employers will meet the balance.

These places are being provided through the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the universities. Details of the funding awarded will be published in January and we expect the bulk of the employers to be providing internships and receiving allowances by the end of March.


    Index Home Page