Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all adult education funding that is clawed back from grant fund providers is re-invested in adult learning opportunities.

As we address the challenges presented by COVID-19, it is vital that we support adults, including those working in sectors directly affected by COVID-19, to attain the skills that will be needed in the economy of the future.

Starting this year, the government is investing £2.5 billion in the National Skills Fund. Investment in skills through the National Skills Fund is vital as it ensures that adults have the opportunity to retrain at different points throughout their lives and can progress into higher wage employment.

From 1 April 2021, the government is supporting any adult who does not have A levels or equivalent qualifications, to access almost 400 fully funded level 3 courses, with Free Courses for Jobs.

Complementing this support for adults, we have introduced Skills Bootcamps which offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer.

We have already introduced Skills Bootcamps in 6 areas (West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Lancashire, Liverpool City Region, Leeds City Region, Heart of South West, and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire) and we are investing a further £43 million from the National Skills Fund to expand them across England.

Funding that is clawed back from grant fund providers will be reinvested in departmental priorities, including to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on providers and learners, enabling us to allocate resources effectively across the department and live within our Parliamentary control totals.