Oral Answers to Questions

Rachel Maclean Excerpts

Monday 12th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Hollinrake (Thirsk and Malton) (Con)]

2. What steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of apprenticeships.

[Rachel Maclean (Redditch) (Con)]

11. What steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of apprenticeships.

[Damian Green (Ashford) (Con)]

22. What steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of apprenticeships.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

I call Rachel Maclean. [Interruption.] Beetle in, beetle in. It is very good of the hon. Lady to drop in on us. I hope she was advised of the grouping by the Government—I am sure she was. I hope she is now ready, as I have given her a bit of injury time.

[Rachel Maclean]

I thank the Minister for her response—[Laughter.]

[Mr Speaker]

I am doing my best to help the hon. Lady. While I am burbling on, she has an opportunity to prepare her question, which I feel sure is now fermenting satisfactorily in her mind.

[Rachel Maclean]

What steps is the Department taking to improve the quality of apprenticeships?

[Anne Milton]

I do not want to fluster my hon. Friend. The Department is doing a great deal to improve apprenticeships. It is important to make sure that apprenticeships offer high-quality education that rivals that of our universities, so we are doing exactly that. There is no doubt that apprenticeships are already offering such education. We have a £10 million development fund available to develop degrees at a high level, and apprenticeship starts at high levels continue to grow—up almost 30% on last year.