Oral Answers to Questions

Robert Buckland Excerpts

Thursday 3rd June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hayes]

Well, that is not just my view; it was the view of the National Audit Office, which looked at the scheme and said that it has not provided good value for money.

[Mr Robert Buckland (South Swindon) (Con)]

18. What steps his Department plans to take to support businesses seeking to offer apprenticeships.

[The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Mr John Hayes)]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State a short time ago.

[Mr Buckland]

What steps will be taken to ensure that the new system of apprenticeships reaches out to the very smallest businesses in my constituency and elsewhere? All too often in the past the very smallest businesses have had great difficulty in getting the information that they need to engage apprentices.

[Mr Hayes]

My hon. Friend is right. The apprenticeships system needs to be built from the bottom up, which is why the Government are determined, as the Secretary of State said earlier, that small and medium enterprises should be supported in securing apprenticeships. We intend to introduce an apprenticeship bonus, which will help those small businesses to participate. We want to look at supply-side barriers and at root training organisations that will help small businesses to take on more apprenticeships. We are committed to apprenticeships in a way that has not been seen for years, perhaps not ever.