Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how much her Department (a) paid in apprenticeship levy fees and (b) spent from its apprenticeship levy funds between September 2021 and August 2023.
Answered by Robert Courts
The apprenticeship levy for the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is managed by the Government Legal Department (GLD). The GLD also manages the apprenticeship levy for HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI). These apprenticeship levies are combined into one pot and it is not possible to isolate them by department. However, it is possible to isolate the levy fees spent by the AGO to support its apprentices.
Between 01 September 2021 and 31 August 2023, the apprenticeship levy fees paid for the AGO, GLD, and HMCPSI were £1,380,581. This includes the 10% government top up.
During the same period, the AGO spent £30,173 to support AGO apprentices.
Please note that, except for the references to the GLD and HMCPSI above, I am responding on behalf of the AGO only, and not the departments superintended by the Attorney General and I (the Crown Prosecution Service, HMCPSI, GLD, and Serious Fraud Office).
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been spent on marketing for (a) Institutes of Technology, (b) T Levels and (c) Higher Technical Qualifications in each year since 2017.
Answered by Robert Halfon
From January 2022, the department has moved away from delivering individual campaigns for each policy product and started delivery of joined up, audience-led campaigns under the banner of Skills for Life, which covers T Levels, Institutes of Technology, Higher Technical Qualifications and others.
Up to and including the 2020/21 financial year, there was a T Level specific marketing campaign with incurred costs of £400,000 in the 2018/19 financial year, £2,667,975 in the 2019/20 financial year and £4,109,207 in the 2020/21 financial year.
The Skills for Life campaign is ongoing. The overall spend for 2023/24 was £12,085,527, as detailed in my response to 7043 on 8 January 2024, which is available at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-12-14/7043. For the 2021/22 financial year the overall spend was £4,092,000. In the 2022/23 financial year overall spend was £12,400,000.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department will place details of the projects funded by the Local Skills Improvement Fund in the Library of the House of Commons.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department has published information about the local skills improvement fund (LSIF) awards that have been made to further education colleges and training providers in each area of England, as well as the sectors that the funding will support. The LSIF awards for 2023 to 2025 are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-skills-improvement-fund-lsif-lead-providers-2023-to-2025/lead-applicants-for-lsif-by-region.
There are no plans to place details of the individual projects funded by the LSIF in the House Library. Where up to date project-specific information is required, it is recommended that contact is made with the lead applicant for the area, whose name is published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much his Department (a) paid in apprenticeship levy fees and (b) spent from its apprenticeship levy funds between September 2021 and August 2023.
Answered by Simon Hoare
The department has contributed £1,502,612.00 in Levy funds between September 2021 and August 2023.
During the same period the department has spent £534,528.80.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department (a) paid in apprenticeship levy fees and (b) spent from its apprenticeship levy funds between September 2021 and August 2023.
Answered by John Glen - Shadow Paymaster General
The Cabinet Office has contributed £6,388,833 into its apprenticeship levy funds between 01 September 2021 and 31 August 2023. This includes the 10% government top up.
During the same period the department has spent £2,981,047 from its apprenticeship levy funds.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department (a) paid in apprenticeship levy fees and (b) spent from its apprenticeship levy funds between September 2021 and August 2023.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2023, the department’s levy declarations, including the 10% government top-up and as shown in its apprenticeship service account, was £4 million. In the same period, the department’s levy spend was £4.1 million.
The funds in apprenticeship service accounts are available for levy-paying employers to draw on for 24 months before they expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis.
This spend covers the costs of apprenticeship training and assessment and levy transfers to other employers. It excludes any additional payments made to employers, providers, and apprentices, such as the care leaver’s bursary.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department (a) paid in apprenticeship levy fees and (b) spent from its apprenticeship levy funds between September 2021 and August 2023.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Exchequer Secretary (Treasury)
The most recent Civil Service Apprenticeship Strategy (published in April 2022) stated that part of monitoring and measuring the success would include value for money from the apprenticeship levy. The aim is that the Civil Service “will use at least 65% of its annual levy contribution in one year, further increasing each year, in order to achieve a return on investment.”
The spend against levy contribution across the period requested is above the target.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) public and (b) employer awareness of higher technical (i) education and (ii) qualifications.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department has published the following data on awareness of Level 4 and 5 qualifications and Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs):
Introducing HTQs is central to the department’s drive to increase the profile, prestige, and uptake of higher technical education. HTQs were first available for teaching from September 2022 and are now offered by over 140 providers across the country in construction and build, digital, and health and science occupations. In the 2023/24 academic year, over 140 qualifications were available. More HTQs will be available to study from September 2024.
The department is promoting HTQs as part of the Skills for Life cross-government communications and engagement campaign for young people, adults and employers. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the various skills offers, help them to decide which one is right for them (or their workforce) and increase take-up.
The department is working with stakeholders, including the National Careers Service, Careers & Enterprise Company and UCAS, to improve the support that is available to young people and adults. The department is also working with employers and professional bodies to improve their recognition of HTQs.
Finally, the department is supporting providers to increase their HTQ provision and to promote it effectively and widely. The department has announced investment of around £115 million in funding to providers to support higher technical education provision.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of apprentices completed their endpoint assessment (a) on the date of, (b) one to three months after, (c) three to six months after and (d) more than six months after completing their apprenticeship in each academic year since 2016-17.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The attached table shows achievers, rounded to the nearest 100, on apprenticeship standards in each academic year since 2019/20. Data is unavailable for the preceding years as the achievement date was not collected as part of the department’s individual learner records prior to the 2019/20 academic year.
To note, achievements totals may not match published standards achievements totals as the attached table does not include those where an invalid achievement date was entered.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship spaces were available in each academic year since 2016-17.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Apprenticeships offer a high-quality and popular route into nearly 700 occupations from entry level to expert roles. The table below shows the number of apprenticeship vacancies that were advertised and the number of apprenticeship applications that were submitted through the ‘Find An Apprenticeship’ (FAA) service in each academic year from 2016/17 to 2022/23. Due to the data protection policy in place prior to 2021/22, the department does not hold an accurate record of the number of applications submitted between 2016/17 and 2020/21.
Academic year | Vacancies advertised | Applications submitted |
|
2016/17 | 185,160 | N/A |
|
2017/18 | 173,520 | N/A |
|
2018/19 | 151,720 | 7,950 |
|
2019/20 | 98,530 | 16,990 |
|
2020/21 | 134,460 | 360,100 |
|
2021/22 | 189,430 | 681,090 |
|
2022/23 | 148,720 | 669,450 |
|
Employers can choose to advertise apprenticeship vacancies through their own websites, recruitment agencies or local job centre instead of, or in addition to, the FAA service. As a result, the actual number of apprenticeship vacancies and applications will be higher.
Apprenticeship vacancies can now be browsed on the University and Colleges Admissions Service website and later this year they will also be able to use the service to apply for apprenticeships. In January 2024, the department also launched the ‘It all starts with skills’ campaign which is encouraging people to find out more about the different apprenticeship and wider skills programmes available.