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Public Sector: Productivity

Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what measures the Office for National Statistics uses of public sector productivity; and what estimate has been made of the change in public sector productivity since 1997 or for the closest period for which figures are available. [312265]

Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2010:

Table 1: Total public service ouput, input and productivity estimate, 1997 to 2007, United Kingdom, per cent. change from 1997

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Mean

Volume of Output

0.0

1.6

3.7

7.4

10.8

15.8

20.7

25.1

28.5

31.9

33.6

2.9

Volume of Input

0.0

1.4

4.1

8.9

12.0

18.7

25.5

30.5

34.6

37.0

38.0

3.3

Productivity

0.0

0.2

-0.4

-1.4

-1.1

-2.4

-3.8

-4.1

-4.5

-3.7

-3.2

-0.3


Public Services Forum Task Group

Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what dates the Public Services Forum task group on the Joint Statement on Access to Skills, Trade Unions and Advice in Government Contracting has met in the last 12 months; and what the membership of the group is. [312278]

Tessa Jowell: The Public Services Forum Task Group on the Joint Statement on Access to Skills, Trade Unions and Advice in Government Contracting has not met in the last 12 months having formally wound up following publication of the Joint Statement on 15 July 2008.

Third Sector: Codes of Practice

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the operation of the National Code of Governance for the Voluntary and Community Sectors; and if she will make a statement. [312341]

Angela E. Smith: Good Governance: A Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector was produced in 2005, through the Governance Hub, funded by Capacitybuilders. A review of the code in 2008 found that the code was welcomed by the sector. 42 per cent. of respondents had used it. The Charity Commission encourages all charities to use it, as a practical and easy-to-use guide to help develop good practice. The Commission recently consulted on updating the core principles in the code.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Apprentices

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department and its predecessor has spent on advertising apprenticeship schemes and services in each of the last five years. [304162]

Kevin Brennan: The National Apprenticeship Service, and formerly the Learning and Skills Council, are responsible for promoting apprenticeships to employers and young people. I have asked Geoff Russell, chief
25 Jan 2010 : Column 669W
executive of the Learning and Skills Council, to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 22 January 2010:

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what proportion of people starting apprenticeship schemes have been from an ethnic minority background since 1997; [310872]


25 Jan 2010 : Column 670W

(2) what proportion of people starting apprenticeship schemes in each year since 1997 were (a) male and (b) female. [310877]

Kevin Brennan: Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 17 December:

Supplementary table 6.1 shows apprenticeship starts (number and percentage) by gender and ethnic group. This table includes data for 2003/04 onwards, the earliest year for which comparable information is available.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many people have dropped out of apprenticeships in each year since 1997; [310874]

(2) how many people started but did not complete an apprenticeship in each year since 1997. [310875]

Kevin Brennan: Table 1 shows the status of all learners participating on an apprenticeship in each academic year from 2008/09 back to 2003/04, the earliest year for which we have comparable information.

Table 1: Status of all apprentices participating in the academic year
Apprenticeship status 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

Total apprenticeship participants

400,400

411,200

403,000

388,000

418,900

444,800

Of which:

Continuing to subsequent year

221,900

233,400

207,800

197,300

218,700

215,800

Achieved in year(1)

55,100

80,100

108,400

119,200

122,600

159,800

Did not achieve/withdrew in year

120,100

90,900

78,000

61,100

62,300

62,400

Transferred

3,200

6,900

8,800

10,300

15,300

6,700

(1) 'Achieved in Year' figures includes some learners that only achieved the national vocational qualification component of their apprenticeship framework. For this reason, achievement figures are higher than those published for framework achievements in the BIS Statistical First Release at:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfrdec09/
Notes:
1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100 and may not sum to totals.
2. Figures represent participation on apprenticeship frameworks. This includes starts in the academic year, and the continuation of frameworks from earlier years.
3. For earlier years, it is not possible to separate out those learners that withdrew from those learners did not achieve.
Source:
WBL/ERILR

The above information looks at all apprentices participating in a given academic year, regardless of when they started their apprenticeship. This is different from how the apprenticeship completion rate is calculated. The completion rate is based on a cohort of learners, and measures the proportion of those learners that successfully achieve. The apprenticeship completion rate has improved significantly in recent years, increasing from 37 per cent. in 2004/05 to a record 71 per cent. in 2008/09.

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many people aged (a) between 16 and 18, (b) 18 and 25 and (c) over 25 years old started an advanced apprenticeship in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available; [311779]

(2) how many adults started a Level 2 apprenticeship in each year since 1997; [312058]

(3) how many adults started an advanced apprenticeship in each year since 1997. [312057]

Kevin Brennan: Information on the number of Apprenticeship starts by level and age is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 17 December:

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in which industry sectors have apprenticeships been created under the National Apprenticeship Service. [312810]

Mr. McFadden: Since April 2009 eight new or revised apprenticeship frameworks have been created in the industry sectors, listed as follows. Employers and other bodies within the industry, working with sector skills councils (SSCs), develop and publish apprenticeship frameworks.


25 Jan 2010 : Column 671W
Apprenticeship framework Industry sector

Paper and Board Manufacture

Construction Planning and the Built Environment

Logistics Operations Management

Retail and Commercial Enterprise

Providing Security Services

Health, Public Services and Care

Security Systems

Health, Public Services and Care

Horticulture

Agriculture, Horticulture, and Animal Care

Fashion and Textiles

Retail and Commercial Enterprise

Facilities Management

Retail and Commercial Enterprise

Laboratory Technicians

Health, Public Services and Care


Apprentices: Costs

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average cost to the public purse of a fully-funded apprenticeship was in the last period for which figures are available. [311780]

Kevin Brennan: This Department and the Department for Children, Schools and Families allocate funding to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for the provision of apprenticeships in England. Planned investment for 16 to 18 and adult apprenticeships for 2009-10 and 2010-11 financial years is given in the following table.

£000
Financial year

2009-10 2010-11

16 to 18 Apprenticeships

695,000

780,000

Adult (aged 19 and over) Apprenticeships

389,914

398,410

Sources:
1. Adult apprenticeships-BIS Skills Investment Strategy 2010-11, November 2009
2. 16 to 19 Apprenticeships-DCSF, 16 to 19 Statement of Priorities and Investment Strategy 2010-11.

Apprenticeships for those aged 16 to 18 are fully funded by the public purse. For learners aged 19 or over the employer is expected to make a contribution towards the cost of the course.

The public cost of delivering an apprenticeship varies significantly depending on the industry in which the apprenticeship framework is being delivered; whether the framework is at level 2 or 3; and whether the participant is in the 16 to 18, 19 to 25 or 25+ age group. For example the LSC estimate that it costs £2,749 to deliver a level 2 adult apprenticeship framework in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools and £4,083 to deliver the level 3 equivalent framework. Between industries the difference in estimated costs can be more marked. LSC estimate that the cost of delivering a level 3 adult apprenticeship in clock and watch repair is £13,409 but the cost of an adult apprenticeship at the same level in business and administration is £3,327.

It is not therefore possible to provide a meaningful average cost to the public purse of an apprenticeship.


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