Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much Apprenticeship Levy funding has been (a) spent, (b) drawn down by Levy contributor employers, (c) spent on apprenticeships training by non-Levy contributor employers, (d) allocated in incentives and payments to apprentices, (e) spent on English and Maths requirements and (f) allocated to other Levy-related spending in each financial year since the introduction of that Levy.

The following information pertains to the 2017-18 financial year and is based on the aggregate spending on apprenticeships as set out in the department’s 2017-18 annual report and accounts.

In the 2017-18 financial year, the department spent £1.58 billion on apprenticeships. Of the £1.58 billion, £1.52 billion was spent on training and assessing apprentices:

• £1.065 billion on ongoing costs of training apprentices who started before the levy was introduced in May 2017.
• £268 million was spent on training for apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 with levy paying employers.
• £189 million was spent on training for apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 with employers who do not pay the levy.

Additional payments relating to apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 were £99 million. English and maths training for apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 was £38 million.

The remaining spending of £58 million was on maintaining the apprenticeship programme and service, and on learners still funded under legacy areas of policy (now closed to new learners).