Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment his Department has made of government funding for electrical apprenticeship training between England and Northern Ireland, and whether he plans to take steps with the Northern Ireland Executive to identify opportunities to support greater consistency in training provision and outcomes.

Funding for apprenticeships and skills is a devolved matter. This government is committed to engaging with the devolved governments on skills policy, including on the development of the growth and skills levy for England, to share best practice and support one another in boosting growth and spreading opportunity throughout the UK.

In England, we are transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, backed by over £1 billion of additional investment. This will support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, give employers, including in the electrical contracting industry, greater flexibility to develop the workforce they need, and support the industrial strategy.

To support businesses to take on apprentices, we have introduced a new apprenticeship hiring payment of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers (who are typically SMEs) when they take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The government now also fully funds apprenticeship training for all eligible under 25s at employers of all sizes.