Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of apprenticeship starts in his Department.

We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across all Government departments, to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government's commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030, to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.

Additionally, a new cross-Government Level 3 apprenticeship programme in Business Administration, via the Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship, will see new apprentices kickstart their careers across various departments, starting from January 2026.

In addition, in the Department we are committed to increasing the number of apprenticeship starts by working closely with our professions, promoting insight sessions, and sharing testimonials from current apprentices to highlight how apprenticeships support staff development. This promotes the value of apprenticeships, and how they support personal development and capability, to encourage uptake across the Department.