Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the level of skills shortages in the labour market in each (a) sector and (b) region; and what method he used to make that assessment.

The Chancellor makes regular assessments of the skills shortages in various sectors and across the UK.

Through the Plan for Jobs announced in July 2020 and built on at the Spring Budget we significantly extended training opportunities for adults so that they can gain the skills they need to get a job. This support included funding to triple the number of traineeships and sector-based work academies, expanded incentives for employers to hire apprentices, and support for school leavers to take high value training courses where employment opportunities are not immediately available.