Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Department is taking to support small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses to recruit apprentices in England.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This Government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy in England, backed by £1 billion of additional investment. This will support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, give employers, including in the manufacturing sector, greater flexibility to develop the workforce they need, and support the industrial strategy.

We know that small businesses are more likely to offer apprenticeships to young people but recognise that they don’t have the economies of scale or HR resources of larger employers.

To support them, we have introduced a new apprenticeship hiring payment of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers (who are typically SMEs) when they take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. Employers hiring apprentices aged 18-24 who have been on Universal Credit for over six months will also be eligible for the new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant.

This is on top of the £1,000 we provide to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care.

In addition, the government now fully funds apprenticeship training for all eligible under 25s at employers of all sizes, as we prioritise funding toward young people.

Alongside this, employers benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year.

The government also facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN), which comprises around 3,000 employer and apprentice volunteers, to promote the benefits of apprenticeships. It operates across all parts of England through nine regional networks which provide buddying and mentoring support to small businesses to help them recruit and retain apprentices.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether home educated children and young people are included within the Government's national strategy for suicide prevention training in schools.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government’s ‘Suicide prevention in England: 5-year cross-sector strategy’ identifies children and young people as a priority group for suicide prevention. The plan sets out a range of actions to improve mental health support, strengthen early intervention and ensure that children and young people can access appropriate support when needed.

Home educated children and young people are included within the strategy’s focus on children and young people and can access the wider mental health and suicide prevention support available through health services, local suicide prevention arrangements and voluntary and community sector organisations.

More broadly, the government is committed to improving mental health support and preventing suicide among all children and young people. This includes action across education, health and community services, as well as investment in earlier intervention through the development of Young Futures Hubs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Treasury is taking to support capital investment by manufacturing businesses.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

This government wants the UK to be one of the best places in the world to invest, build and grow a business – and that starts with a tax system that is competitive, predictable and stable. This government has maintained the lowest rate of corporate tax in the G7, topped the rankings for OECD countries in terms of capital allowances for plant and machinery due to our generous full expensing offer, and led a flexible and competitive regime for intangible assets.

Through delivery of our 10-year Advanced Manufacturing sector plan, this government also aims to nearly double annual business investment in the advanced manufacturing sector to £39bn by 2035.

That’s why we backed our Advanced Manufacturing sector with up to £4.3 billion in funding out to 2030, including up to £2.8 billion in R&D. Alongside this, we have provided a further £2 billion of R&D and capital funding available for automotive from 2030 to 2035 and up to £2.3bn for the UK’s aerospace industry over the 10 year period.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Department is taking to help young people who are not in education, employment or training access employment in manufacturing.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

With around one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion by 2029 into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy.

This investment will create up to 500,000 opportunities. This includes around 300,000 opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, alongside up to 200,000 employment opportunities through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers hiring 18 to 24-year-oldst who have been on Universal Credit for over six months. Also, a new £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for non-levy employers hiring 16 to 24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job.

DWP's Strategic Relationship Team works with manufacturing employers to promote apprenticeships, work experience, careers events and employability activity for young people, including those who are NEET. This includes aligning employer recruitment activity with Jobcentre support, developing pathways into engineering and advanced manufacturing careers, and working with employers to address skills shortages and increase opportunities for young people entering the sector.

The Department has also supported activity around National Manufacturing Day to raise awareness of careers in modern manufacturing, challenge outdated perceptions of the sector and promote opportunities including apprenticeships and work experience. In addition, manufacturing employers are making use of the Youth Job Grant, helping more young people who have been unemployed for longer periods move into sustained work.

Found: West) (Chair) Tom Collins (Labour; Worcester) Emily Darlington (Labour; Milton Keynes Central) Maya Ellis