Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the (1) total amount raised from employers, (2) total value of unspent funds in employers' digital voucher accounts at year end, and (3) total value of funds which expired unspent, in each financial year since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Details of the total value of apprenticeship levy paid by employers each month is published by HMRC in their Tax & National Insurance Contributions receipts publication, which can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk.
Employers in England who pay the apprenticeship levy don’t use digital vouchers, but access funds for apprenticeship training by registering for an apprenticeship service account. The funds in employers’ accounts reflect the ‘English percentage’ of an employer’s levy contribution and include a 10% top-up from the government. Figures for the total value of levy balances in employers’ apprenticeship service accounts at the financial year end can be found in the table below:
Total value of levy balances at financial year (FY) end | ||||
FY 2017-18 | FY 2018-19 | FY 2019-20 | FY 2020-21 | FY 2021-22 |
£1,988 | £3,745 | £4,430 | £4,706 | £4,987 |
The funds in apprenticeship service accounts are available for levy-paying employers to use for 24 months before they begin to expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis. Employers began to pay the apprenticeship levy in April 2017 and unused levy funds began to expire in May 2019. Figures for the funds which have expired from employers' levy accounts are shown in the table below:
Expired (Rounded £Million) | ||
FY 2019-20 | FY 2020-21 | FY 2021-22 |
£847 | £1,314 | £1,315 |
The department’s annual apprenticeship budget for England is set by HM Treasury and, although closely linked, is distinct from the total levy income collected. The levy has been set at a level to fund demand for apprenticeships in employers of all sizes.
We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them, but they are able to if they wish. As well as funding new apprenticeships in levy-paying employers, income from the levy funds new apprenticeships in employers that do not pay the levy, existing apprentices that started in previous years, English and maths tuition for apprentices and additional payments to employers, providers and apprentices.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Berridge on 2 June (HL434), and on 20 July (HL1599), whether they still intend to publish "a new national strategy for English language in England", as set out in the Integrated Communities Action Plan, published on 9 February 2019; what role the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will have in the formulation of this strategy; and what steps they are taking to ensure a cross-government approach to the development of the strategy.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 20 July 2021 to Question HL1599.
We remain committed to English language, as demonstrated by the manifesto commitment to boost English language teaching. However, our response to the COVID-19 outbreak is our priority at present. We will provide an update on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in due course.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government continues to work closely with the Department for Education and other government departments on the provision of ESOL.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Berridge on 2 June (HL434), whether they still intend to publish a cross-Government English language strategy, as set out in the Integrated Communities Strategy green paper.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 2 June 2021 to Question HL434.
This government remains committed to English language as demonstrated by the manifesto commitment to boost English language teaching.
Our response to the COVID-19 outbreak is our priority at present. We will provide an update on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in due course.
The department also remains committed to strengthening communities through integration. Since publication, we have made significant progress on the commitments in the Integrated Communities Action Plan. This includes providing over 18,000 learner places through our Integrated Communities English Language Programme (£4.5 million) and Coordination Fund (£1.2 million), and setting up of five Integration Areas.
We continue to build upon the Integration Area Programme and are working hard to boost English language provision, including through the ESOL for Integration Fund.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Integrated Communities Strategy green paper, published on 14 March 2018, when they plan to publish an English language strategy.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
This government remains committed to English language as demonstrated by the manifesto commitment to boost English language teaching.
We know that language skills are crucial to help people integrate into life in England, as well as to break down barriers to work and career progression. This is why we want to support all adults in England to secure the English language skills they need.
The department funds English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision through the Adult Education Budget (AEB). Currently, approximately 50% of the AEB is devolved to 7 Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Mayor of London, acting where appropriate through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are now responsible for the provision of AEB-funded adult education, including ESOL, for their residents and allocation of the AEB to providers. The Education and Skills Funding Agency is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas.
In 2019/20, 116,100 adult learners were supported through the AEB, across devolved and non-devolved areas to improve their levels of English through fully and part funded ESOL courses.
Our response to the COVID-19 outbreak is our priority at present. We will provide an update on ESOL in due course.