Neil O'Brien MP: written questions 2024
173 published records · newest first.
Written questions
ApprenticesDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16537More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of (a) apprenticeship courses started and (b) apprenticeship levy spent were for (i) Level 6 and (ii) Level 7 apprenticeships in each year since 2016.
Answer: The proportions of apprenticeships starts at level 6 and level 7, as a percentage of total apprenticeship starts at all levels, are provided in the table below for each academic year between 2015/16 and 2023/24.Academic YearProportion of total starts at L...
Answered 2 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployers ContributionsTreasuryTabled 26 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16322More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.41 of the Autumn Budget, published on 24 October 2024, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the increase in the employment allowance in each year of th
Answer: The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all next year, more t...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSchools: StandardsDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15823More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools were (i) newly graded inadequate or (ii) received a second consecutive Requires Improvement by Ofsted in each year since 2010.
Answer: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Answered 3 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: CostsDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15822More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate her Department has made of the average cost of a child receiving SEND support in a state school.
Answer: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The department doe...
Answered 28 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: Special Educational NeedsDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15821More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2024 to Question 14487 on Private Education: Special Educational Needs, if she will publish the information that informed her Department's assessment of the potential impac
Answer: HM Treasury (HMT) is responsible for VAT policy and publishing the impacts of the policy.HMT has published an assessment of the impacts of removing the VAT exemption that applied to private school fees. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/governme...
Answered 28 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: Business RatesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15820More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill, what definition her Department is using of mainly, in the context of schools that are mainly con
Answer: The Bill sets out that where a private school is wholly or mainly concerned with providing education for pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan they will be exempt from the measure and therefore retain eligibility for business rates charitable rel...
Answered 3 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordRailways: WiFiDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15472More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of wifi available across the rail network.
Answer: I have asked my officials to explore the feasibility of a range of technology options to improve passenger connectivity on the rail network. The Department is also conducting research to measure the strength of mobile signals along the rail network to fu...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNon-crime Hate IncidentsHome OfficeTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15256More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-crime hate incidents were recorded by each police force in each year since 2014.
Answer: The Home Office does not currently centrally collate information on the number of non-crime hate incidents recorded by individual police forces.
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAsylum and Immigration: TribunalsMinistry of JusticeTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15252More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many reports were produced by Independent Social Workers for the immigration and asylum tribunals which recommended that a person liable to be removed from the UK should be allowed to stay in the last year fo
Answer: The Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal is independent of government and act as impartial arbiters of the evidence presented by Appellants and the Home Office as Respondent to appeals. The Tribunal does not establish verification sys...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAsylum and Immigration: TribunalsMinistry of JusticeTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15251More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many reports were produced by Independent Social Workers for the immigration and asylum tribunals in the last year for which data is available.
Answer: The Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal is independent of government and act as impartial arbiters of the evidence presented by Appellants and the Home Office as Respondent to appeals. The Tribunal does not establish verification sys...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAsylum and Immigration: TribunalsMinistry of JusticeTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15250More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to the asylum and immigration tribunal system was of commissioning reports from Independent Social Workers in each of the last five years.
Answer: The Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal is independent of government and act as impartial arbiters of the evidence presented by Appellants and the Home Office as Respondent to appeals. The Tribunal does not establish verification sys...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordImmigration: TribunalsMinistry of JusticeTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15249More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Independent Social Workers are recognised by the Tribunal system as qualified to provide independent reports in immigration cases.
Answer: The Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal is independent of government and act as impartial arbiters of the evidence presented by Appellants and the Home Office as Respondent to appeals. The Tribunal does not establish verification sys...
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordLabour Force SurveyCabinet OfficeTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15248More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the outputs from the Transformed Labour Force Survey will be published.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 20 November is attached.
Answered 28 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordApprenticeship LevyDepartment for EducationTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15014More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much and what proportion of apprenticeship levy funds were spent on Level 7 Appenticeships in each year since the creation of the levy.
Answer: The apprenticeships budget in England is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts in apprenticeship levy and non-levy paying employers, and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments...
Answered 25 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordApprenticesDepartment for EducationTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15013More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people starting apprenticeships in each year of this Parliament.
Answer: This government’s reformed growth and skills offer, with apprenticeships at the heart, will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers, aligned with our industrial strategy, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, such a...
Answered 3 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordVisas: Married PeopleHome OfficeTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14981More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of partner visas were granted where the applicant used cash savings to count towards the minimum income threshold in each year since 2012.
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on Partner entry clearance visas in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. However, this information is not broken down by the means by which the Minimum Income Requirement is met.Data on visas issued are pub...
Answered 25 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordGrowth and Skills LevyDepartment for EducationTabled 19 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14971More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to allow firms to use up to 50% of the Growth And Skills Levy to fund non-apprenticeship training.
Answer: This government’s reformed growth and skills offer, with apprenticeships at the heart, will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers, aligned with our industrial strategy, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, such a...
Answered 3 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordAlmshouses: Affordable HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14671More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to amend the National Planning Policy Framework to allow almshouse charities that are not registered providers to receive Section 106 funds for the provision of
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 8305 on 18 October 2024.
Answered 26 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordDeportationHome OfficeTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14670More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were served with a notice of liability to remove in each year since 2004.
Answer: The Home Office does not routinely report on numbers of individuals served with notices of liability to removal, and that information could only be obtained for the purposes of this question at disproportionate cost.
Answered 26 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordReaction Engines: Unmanned Air SystemsMinistry of DefenceTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14667More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact of the collapse of Reaction Engines Ltd on the UK Hypersonic Air Vehicle programme.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence is in discussion with the Administrators appointed by Reaction Engines Ltd. However, these discussions are commercial-in-confidence and I cannot disclose further details.
Answered 25 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordIntellectual PropertyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14666More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to safeguard intellectual property for the UK following the collapse of Reaction Engines.
Answer: The Government recognises that the UK’s aerospace and space industry is world-leading. Although the Government cannot comment on individual commercial cases, where appropriate officials will work with companies and administrators to consider how best to r...
Answered 26 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordListed Places of Worship Grant SchemeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14664More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to make an announcement on the future of the Listed Place of Worship Grant Scheme.
Answer: Departmental settlements have been set following the Budget announcement on October 30. Individual programmes will now be assessed during the departmental Business Planning process.
Answered 21 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordReoffenders: Foreign NationalsMinistry of JusticeTabled 18 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14652More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12200 on Reoffenders: Foreign Nationals, if she will publish a breakdown of the offences committed by reoffending foreign nationals by main offence group.
Answer: I refer the honourable Member to the response I gave on 11 November 2024 to PQ 13567.
Answered 21 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordChildren in Care: Undocumented MigrantsDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14490More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of looked after children were unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in each local authority area in 2024.
Answer: Information on the number and proportion of looked after children, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, is submitted to the department on an annual basis. This was recently published on 14 November 2024 at local authority level in our statisti...
Answered 25 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14488More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support state schools as pupils transfer from their independent school to a state school as a result of the Government’s introduction of VAT on private school fees.
Answer: HM Treasury (HMT) is responsible for VAT policy. HMT has published its assessment of the impacts of removing the VAT exemption that applied to private school fees, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-f...
Answered 20 Nov 2024
Original Parliament record
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