Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship programmes are waiting for funding bands decisions by the Institute of Apprenticeships.

The Institute for Apprenticeships is an independent body with responsibility for the development and approval of apprenticeship standards, and for deciding funding band recommendations for those standards. I have therefore asked the Institute to write to the hon. Member for Southend West directly and respond to the question regarding the number of apprenticeship programmes that are awaiting funding band decisions.

A copy of that response will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses when it is available.