Oral Answers to Questions

Luke Hall Excerpts

Tuesday 10th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Nicola Blackwood (Oxford West and Abingdon) (Con)]

1. What assessment he has made of recent trends in apprenticeship starts.

[Luke Hall (Thornbury and Yate) (Con)]

4. What assessment he has made of recent trends in apprenticeship starts.

[Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (Con)]

14. What assessment he has made of recent trends in apprenticeship starts.

--- Later in debate ---

[Luke Hall]

There were 740 new apprentices in my constituency last year. Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating the hundreds of new apprentices, and confirm that he will continue to work to improve not only the quantity but the quality of apprenticeships?

[Sajid Javid]

I am delighted to congratulate those who have started their apprenticeships in my hon. Friend’s constituency. There has been a 45% increase in apprenticeships since 2010, and we have ensured that they are high-quality paid jobs that last at least 12 months. The whole House should acknowledge the incredible work that has been done by the Minister for Skills, my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Nick Boles) on apprenticeships. He has focused not only on quality but on quantity.