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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of new workers required to replace workers from other EU countries who may leave the manufacturing sector following the UK's withdrawal from the EU; and what measures they are putting in place to ensure that sufficient numbers are recruited and trained.

The Government has not produced specific estimates of the potential impacts of withdrawal from the European Union on the manufacturing workforce. However, it has set out a clear policy that would enable EU nationals currently working in the UK to remain.

The Government is committed to working with the manufacturing sector to ensure the workforce is equipped with the skills it will need now and in the future. This includes reforming our technical education system to achieve a world-class status and developing a National Retraining Scheme to support adults to upskill and reskill throughout their career as the economy changes. Our ambitious Industrial Strategy comprises policies to build an economy fit for the future, helping to foster a competitive environment where businesses can have the confidence to invest in UK manufacturing and thrive.

We are continuing to work with employers and wider stakeholders on how the apprenticeship levy is spent so that the funding system works effectively and flexibly for industry and supports our commitment to delivering 3 million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020.