Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for level 7 healthcare apprenticeships on skills shortages in the NHS; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on that funding.

Skills England and the Department for Education are reviewing the growth and skills offer, including whether employers will fund level 7 apprenticeships outside of the levy. Ministers, officials, NHS England, and a range of stakeholders across the sector have been feeding into this review and will continue to work closely with Skills England to ensure that the National Health Service has access to the skilled workforce patients need, as we rebuild the NHS and make sure it is there for us all when we need it.