Education

Gillian Keegan Excerpts

Thursday 20th July 2023 Ministerial Corrections

[Gillian Keegan]

There is nothing that would make me give such drastic advice. The truth about the apprenticeship levy is that 99.6% of it will be spent this year. We can look in the rear view mirror, and there are some reports going back over time that show some underspend in the levy, but they are back over time. We are now spending 99.6% of the levy. Perhaps what the hon. Gentleman has not appreciated is that some of the funding goes to the devolved Governments.

[Official Report, 17 July 2023, Vol. 736, c. 602.]

Letter of correction from the Secretary of State for Education:

An error has been identified in the response given to the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr Perkins).

The correct response should have been:

[Gillian Keegan]

There is nothing that would make me give such drastic advice. The truth about the apprenticeship budget is that 99.6% of it was spent in the 2021-22 financial year. We can look in the rear view mirror, and there are some reports going back over time that show some underspend in the levy, but they are back over time. We have spent 99.6% of the budget. Perhaps what the hon. Gentleman has not appreciated is that some of the funding goes to the devolved Administrations.

Reading Standards: Primary-age Children

[Sally-Ann Hart (Hastings and Rye) (Con)]

13. What steps her Department is taking to improve standards of reading of primary age children.