Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2016 to Question 56579, on apprenticeships, for what reason her Department has no plans to offer ex-offenders extra support.

Apprenticeships offer a real opportunity to re-enter the labour market and those already in work the opportunity to progress further.

We provide a range of support for people to access, complete and progress in an apprenticeship especially those who are disadvantaged or who have additional needs, such as ex-offenders. We also offer a traineeship programme to help those that are further from being ready for an apprenticeship to prepare.

Additional support is also provided through the Department for Work and Pensions and the range of excellent organisations that work with ex-offenders.

In its White Paper, Prison Safety and Reform, published on 3 November the Ministry of Justice, set out its plans to develop a Prisoner Apprenticeship Pathway for prisoners which lead to an apprenticeship on release.