Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the apprenticeship system in increasing the number of high quality apprenticeship starts.

High-quality apprenticeships reach nearly 700 occupations and deliver for individuals and businesses, with apprenticeship starts up 2% so far this year.

Over 80% of employers are satisfied with their apprenticeships and 92% of apprentices that achieve go into sustained employment.

The department is injecting an additional £60 million this year to support even more apprenticeships, including for young people and small and medium-sized enterprises, and £50 million over two years to boost starts in growth sectors like engineering and manufacturing.

The department has also increased the apprentice minimum wage by 21% to £6.40 per hour which will benefit an estimated 40,000 apprentices.