Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government has produced an impact assessment of the effects of the reforms to Level 7 apprenticeship funding.

The government completed an equality impact assessment ahead of making its decision on the changes to level 7 apprenticeship funding.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 2 June 2025, this decision was informed by a wide range of evidence, including Skills England’s analysis of official apprenticeship statistics and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

Skills England’s analysis found that level 7 apprenticeships have a higher proportion of older learners than other apprenticeships, a higher proportion of learners who already hold higher level qualifications, and a significant proportion are less likely to be deprived than those in apprenticeships at lower levels. It also suggested there was unlikely to be a significant or unavoidable fall in the supply of these skills in the long term, post-defunding.

The government's decision on defunding Level 7 apprenticeships for those aged 22 and over, including the full summary of the evidence that informed that decision, is published here: Written Statements - Hansard - UK Parliament