Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the National Vocational Qualification for Pilots was removed in 1999 and what consideration has been made of introducing a new qualification that is not subject to VAT for pilot training.

Decisions around qualifications taken in 1999 were made by a previous government and the department has no further information to add to that made available at the time.

The First Officer Pilot Apprenticeship Standard, developed by industry, was introduced in 2019 with a funding band of £27,000, but is currently paused for starts due to low take-up. While National Vocational Qualifications continue to exist at levels 2 and 3 in certain sectors, the first officer apprenticeship is a level 6 standard. Skills England will keep the standard under review and remain open to lifting the pause should industry present evidence of demand.

VAT policy is the responsibility of His Majesty’s Treasury. The government keeps all taxes under regular review, and any proposals to amend the tax system must be considered in the context of wider public finances.