Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to publish a long-term strategy for the apprenticeships sector.

The longer-term direction and funding for the programme post-2020 will be considered as part of the 2019 Spending Review.

We want to make sure that the apprenticeship levy continues to help develop the skilled workforce businesses need to grow. As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his budget speech in October, we are seeking views from a range of employers on the operation of the levy after 2020. As part of this work, we are holding a number of roundtables across the country with a cross-section of employers and training providers.