Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people were recruited on to the Green Deal Apprenticeship Scheme.

It is important that our workforce is equipped with the skills needed to adapt to changing technological advances, including green technologies. Our reforms to apprenticeships are one of the ways that we are supporting employers to develop the skills they need now and in the future.

New apprenticeship standards across all levels are being designed and driven by industry and there are now more than 500 different apprenticeship standards available, including plumbing and domestic heating technician, smart home technician and dual fuel smart meter installer: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/.

Prior to its launch in 2013, there was consideration by Government and stakeholders of whether the Green Deal could offer opportunities for apprenticeships, and £3 million was made available in funding for Green Deal advisors and installers.