The Your Life campaign is independently led, with sponsorship from business, and backed by strong support across Government. It is a three-year campaign to ensure the UK has the maths and science skills it needs to succeed in a competitive global economy.

A 2014 CBI/Pearson report found that STEM skills are in widespread demand and nearly two in five firms that need employees with STEM skills and knowledge currently have difficulties recruiting staff.

It is essential that students leave school as fully-rounded individuals, with experience of a broad and balanced curriculum to prepare them for life in modern Britain. Maths and science are valuable skills to have, no matter what they choose to pursue.

The aim of the School-Business Partnerships pilot is to establish long lasting and mutually beneficial partnerships in which schools and businesses work together. The primary focus of the partnerships is on business, particularly local business, rather than national organisations. In addition, each partnership is focusing on the sectors best suited to the local area.

Four out of the five partnerships have incorporated some element of STEM activity in their programme. For example, two have partnered with STEM Ambassadors to deliver activities in schools and one partnership is hosting an event with The Royal Academy of Engineering next year. In addition, Government has shared information on the activities of Engineering UK, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society and STEMnet with the British Chambers of Commerce.

The Department for Education currently supports curriculum-focussed Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for science teachers and technicians through a contract with Myscience.co Limited to manage five Regional Science Learning Centres (RSLCs). The five RSLCs additionally co-ordinate and quality assure up to ten local Science Learning Partnerships (SLPs) each, which bring together teaching schools and other outstanding schools, higher education institutions, independent schools, further education and sixth form colleges and employers and industry experts to deliver CPD locally.

In addition, the Department provides funding to Myscience.co Limited to support the payment of Impact Awards for science teachers and technicians who attend and undertake CPD run by the Regional Science Learning Centres and Science Learning Partnerships.

The Department also funds the Triple Science Support Programme (TSSP), delivered by MyScience.co Limited, to provide an extensive programme of practical support and guidance to schools on how to provide triple science at GCSE level. The TSSP focuses its support on schools that do not currently offer triple science or that have few pupils taking triple science.

The Department supports the improvement of science teaching through a joint arrangement with the Wellcome Trust and industry partners to fund CPD through scholarship awards called Enthuse Awards. Over five years from August 2013 to July 2018, the Department will provide £10 million to schools to support teachers’ attendance at high quality science CPD training delivered by the National Science Learning Centre.

The Stimulating Physics Network has also been set up to provide support at regional level to increase progression to A level physics. This is funded by the Department and administered by the Institute of Physics. The network provides two strands of support: universal support for all schools, which offers programmes of workshops, networking opportunities and other professional development events though a team of Physics Network Co-ordinators; and developing intensive partnerships with selected schools provided through a team of Teaching and Learning Coaches who facilitate tailored programmes of CPD.

The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) (and its predecessor) have not allocated places or funding to support Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) for the subject of biology meaning only physics and chemistry can be reported on.

Although the academic year 2013/14 has now concluded, the recruitment data for this period will not be collected until November 2014. The table at Figure 1. below is, therefore, limited to recruitment data supplied by SKE providers for each of the four academic years prior to the academic year 2013/14. Furthermore, funding for post-ITT SKE only began in the academic year 2011/12 and so is not applicable to academic years 2009/10 or 2010/11.

Fig. 1 Pre and post ITT recruitment from the academic year 2009/10 to the academic year 2012/13 in SKE for physics and chemistry.

The main objective of the Your Life campaign is to increase the number of young people choosing A levels in maths or physics.

The campaign will be led by an independent organisation chaired by Edwina Dunn, and it will run for three years.

It will seek support and resources from leading employers and organisations. The Government has provided limited funds to establish a website and other set-up work.

May I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for campaigning and working so hard on this issue? It is really important for the future of our country—not just for gender equality but for our economic future—to get more women into STEM subjects and into engineering. I support the National Centre for Universities and Businesses’ target of doubling the number of female engineering graduates by 2030. We are working with employers, professional bodies and academic institutions to implement the Perkins review of engineering skills, and I think one of the most powerful things is role models like the one that my hon. Friend mentioned in his question.

Ofqual has recently consulted on whether the outcomes of the practical assessment should contribute to the overall A level science grade. The Department for Education has separately hosted a consultation on the content for A level sciences. A number of organisations included views about the separate reporting of practical skills In A level science in their responses to the Department.

Ofqual is due to announce its decision on the assessment of practical skills in science in the spring.

The National Security Through Technology White Paper (Cm 8278) set out six critical outcomes for defence, security, science and technology. These remain our overall priority.

The Ministry of Defence publishes its Science and Technology requirements on the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) website at:

https://www.dstl.gov.uk/whatwedo

Further details of the science and technology requirements and the investment opportunities are presented at the annual supplier networking events led by DSTL, most recently in June 2013, where more than 400 suppliers attended. The content of the June 2013 event can be found at:

https://www.dstl.gov.uk/suppliernetworkingday1

Counter-terrorism priorities were published in the Contest strategy in 2011. Delivery against these priorities, which includes science and technology, is published annually in the Contest annual report to Parliament at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/contest

The Department's plans for funding the centralised Ministry of Defence Science and Technology Programme, under the Department's chief scientific adviser, as a proportion of the Department's budget, equate to 1.2%, 1.3% and 1.3% in financial years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively, meeting our intention to sustain science and technology investment at a minimum of 1.2% of the Defence budget.