Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to roll out the Adult Skills Fund to areas not yet covered by this fund, including Dorset; and if she will outline a timetable for doing so.

The Adult Skills Fund (ASF) supports adults to gain the skills they need to move into work, apprenticeships or further learning. Residents of Dorset are already able to access ASF-funded provision. In areas without a devolved strategic authority including Dorset, the Department for Work and Pensions funds ASF provision directly for eligible learners.

As of August 2026, around 76% of ASF funding is devolved to 20 Strategic Authorities, which are responsible for adult skills provision for their residents and for allocating funding to providers. In non-devolved areas, the Department continues to fund and manage ASF provision directly.

The Government's ambition is for every area of England to have, or be part of, a Strategic Authority by 2027, with full coverage in place by the end of 2028.