Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 18 October 2023 to Question 201370 on Apprentices: Finance, how she plans to fund the policy of allowing levy-paying companies to retain 50% of their contributions under the Growth and Skills levy.

The government is transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy. The new levy will build on the apprenticeships programme to create opportunities for learners of all ages, give employers of different sizes greater flexibility to address critical skill shortages in their workforces and drive economic growth.

The department is working across government to develop the design of the Growth and Skills Levy and will set out more detail in due course. This will include further information on the role of Skills England in ensuring that levy-funded training delivers value for money and meets the needs of levy paying and non-levy paying businesses.