There are no plans to do so.

We have had no specific discussions.

The advice from the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies was discussed 5 November 2020. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for determining future policy and regulatory action.

The advice from the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies was discussed 5 November 2020. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for determining future policy and regulatory action.

We have made no specific assessment.

In the Autumn Budget 2017 we announced investment of £21 million to expand Tech City UK into a nationwide network – Tech Nation – aimed at accelerating the growth of the digital tech sector across the country. The funding will help Tech Nation support 40,000 entrepreneurs and up to 4,000 start-ups as they scale their businesses across the UK. This includes Birmingham, with Tech Nation highlighting that digital tech turnover for the Midlands came in at £7.7billion in 2017.

DCMS investments in the wider business environment are creating and developing the conditions for digital businesses in the Midlands to start and grow. In September 2018, the Government announced the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) as the lead partner of the Urban Connected Communities (UCC) Project. This initiative will see the development of a large-scale 5G pilot across the region, with hubs in cities such as Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton.

The UCC project will design wireless infrastructure to deliver high quality connectivity and allow new 5G applications to be trialled in a number of sectors; allow industry to test different deployment models for 5G infrastructure and help inform the development of policy and regulation to support 5G deployment. Up to £50 million is currently available for the UCC, including £25 million of DCMS funding.

DCMS are supporting the West Midlands Digital Skills Partnership which was launched in December last year. Bringing together some key regional stakeholders, supported by industry partners and Government, the West Midlands are exploring innovative ways in which to improve the talent pipeline in the region.

Government further recognises that supporting digital businesses in the Midlands requires us to encourage innovation and adoption of digital tech in other sectors. The emerging West Midlands Industrial Strategy identifies exciting opportunities around data-driven health diagnostics, which will provide opportunities to test and commercialise new technologies, among wider opportunities for industrial digitisation applicable to local economic strengths. My officials also look forward to working with partners in Leicester & Leicestershire and Nottingham & Nottinghamshire in the near future, as they open discussion with Government around their Local Industrial Strategies.

The table below provides information on the proportion of pupils entered for design and technology GCSEs[1] in 2016/17 who achieved grade C or above.

[1] Based on GCSE examinations only - excludes equivalents

[2] Includes Graphics, Motor Vehicle, Studies, Design & Technology, D&T Engineering and D&T Product Design.

Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we are creating opportunities for the UK technology sector to build on its strengths and continue to grow. This includes the ambition to raise total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. The government is increasing spending on R&D by £7bn by 2021/22, the largest increase in 40 years.

Support in the East Midlands includes the recently announced funding to support the creation of a new, locally-led development body for Toton, with £70m for the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre. Innovate UK funding of £12m has been invested by the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) in the Research and Acceleration Demonstration Building on Nottingham University’s Innovation Park. The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership has contributed £5m of Local Growth Fund to the Advanced Manufacturing Building at Nottingham University’s Jubilee Campus. The facility will allow for diverse engineering and science disciplines to collaborate and contribute to pioneering developments for a range of sectors.

Through the Midlands Engine Strategy, we are investing in skills, industries, and infrastructure – building on the many strengths of the Midlands to boost productivity. It confirmed the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, which provides over £250 million to support small businesses across the Midlands to start and grow.

The majority of state funded state secondary schools offered GCSE courses in design and technology in 2017. In 2016/17, 2,922 state funded secondary schools (85% of all state funded secondary schools) had one or more pupils taking a Design and Technology (D&T) GCSE. Data for 2018 will not be available until October 2018.

The Department does not provide financial support or training to existing D&T teachers in relation to the new GCSE. Training is available, however, from the GCSE awarding bodies, and from other organisations such as the Design and Technology Association.

The Government continues to support D&T teacher recruitment through bursaries of up to £12,000.

The majority of state funded state secondary schools offered GCSE courses in design and technology in 2017. In 2016/17, 2,922 state funded secondary schools (85% of all state funded secondary schools) had one or more pupils taking a Design and Technology (D&T) GCSE. Data for 2018 will not be available until October 2018.

The Department does not provide financial support or training to existing D&T teachers in relation to the new GCSE. Training is available, however, from the GCSE awarding bodies, and from other organisations such as the Design and Technology Association.

The Government continues to support D&T teacher recruitment through bursaries of up to £12,000.