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These initiatives were driven by Baroness Wolf of Dulwich, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Baroness Wolf of Dulwich has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Baroness Wolf of Dulwich has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Transfers are a great way for large employers to use their levy funds to support apprenticeships in other businesses, including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), flexi-job apprenticeship agencies and charities, to help meet local or sector specific needs.
As announced this week, from April the department are increasing the proportion of their funds that levy-paying employers can transfer to support more apprenticeships in other businesses, including those in their local area or supply chain, from 25% to 50%. This will help SMEs hire more apprentices by reducing their costs and enabling them to benefit from the support and experience that larger employers can provide.
Hundreds of large levy-paying employers have already taken advantage of the opportunity to transfer their unused levy funds to other businesses. Since September 2021, over 550 employers including ASDA, HomeServe, and BT Group, have pledged to transfer over £37 million to support apprenticeships in businesses of all sizes.
The below table shows the number of non-levy paying employers that have received levy transfer funding and the value of that funding. It is extremely encouraging that use of transfers continues to increase year-on-year. The department does not hold transfer data specific to SMEs (currently defined as businesses with fewer than 250 employees) but can confirm that most non-levy paying employers are SMEs.
Financial Year | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
Number of non-levy employers receiving transfer funding | 2,370 | 3,700 | 5,080 |
Value of funding transferred (£ million) | £13 | £19 | £26 |
To note: Values include new apprenticeship starts and those who started in previous years but are still being funded. If an employer receives a transfer for an apprenticeship which continues across more than one financial year, they will appear in each year’s employer count. Values are actual payments made to date - they do not represent the total committed cost of transfers into future months and years.
Transfers are a great way for large employers to use their levy funds to support apprenticeships in other businesses, including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), flexi-job apprenticeship agencies and charities, to help meet local or sector specific needs.
As announced this week, from April the department are increasing the proportion of their funds that levy-paying employers can transfer to support more apprenticeships in other businesses, including those in their local area or supply chain, from 25% to 50%. This will help SMEs hire more apprentices by reducing their costs and enabling them to benefit from the support and experience that larger employers can provide.
Hundreds of large levy-paying employers have already taken advantage of the opportunity to transfer their unused levy funds to other businesses. Since September 2021, over 550 employers including ASDA, HomeServe, and BT Group, have pledged to transfer over £37 million to support apprenticeships in businesses of all sizes.
The below table shows the number of non-levy paying employers that have received levy transfer funding and the value of that funding. It is extremely encouraging that use of transfers continues to increase year-on-year. The department does not hold transfer data specific to SMEs (currently defined as businesses with fewer than 250 employees) but can confirm that most non-levy paying employers are SMEs.
Financial Year | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
Number of non-levy employers receiving transfer funding | 2,370 | 3,700 | 5,080 |
Value of funding transferred (£ million) | £13 | £19 | £26 |
To note: Values include new apprenticeship starts and those who started in previous years but are still being funded. If an employer receives a transfer for an apprenticeship which continues across more than one financial year, they will appear in each year’s employer count. Values are actual payments made to date - they do not represent the total committed cost of transfers into future months and years.
Level 6 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the tables below, along with breakdowns by region, and where starts were supported by apprenticeship service account levy funds.
Level 6 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
960 | 900 |
Of which supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
890 | 850 |
Of which by region:
Region | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
East Midlands | 30 | 50 |
East of England | 140 | 130 |
London | 270 | 300 |
North East | 30 | 10 |
North West | 90 | 90 |
South East | 130 | 120 |
South West | 90 | 50 |
West Midlands | 80 | 70 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 70 | 50 |
Outside of England and unknown | 40 | 30 |
Notes for tables:
(1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.
(2) Data source is the individualised Learner Record.
(3) Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Where the postcode is outside of England or not known it is included in the 'Outside of England and unknown' category.
(4) Geographies are taken from the National Statistics Postcode Lookup.
(5) Please see the 'Further education and skills statistics: methodology' document for more information about how 'supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds' is derived.
(6) Route information is based on the latest information held on the IfATE 'Search the apprenticeships' page at the point of publication.
The department publishes apprenticeship achievements (where all parts of the apprenticeship are successfully completed) rather than apprenticeship completions. In the 2022/23 academic year there were 4,020 achievements on the Senior Leader (ST0480) apprenticeship standard.
The department also publishes achievement and retention rates for individual apprenticeship standards within the National Achievement Rate tables. The latest figures cover the 2021/22 academic year. For leavers on the Senior Leader (ST0480) apprenticeship standard that left their apprenticeship the 2021/22 academic year, the retention rate was 56.8% (the proportion getting to the end of their apprenticeship, regardless of whether they subsequently passed their apprenticeship), whilst the achievement rate was 56.2% (the proportion getting to the end of their apprenticeship and subsequently passing). The table is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/6fe2fb17-4a75-4af4-b7cb-08dbfa51496d.
The tables below contain the apprenticeship starts figures for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years:
.
Level | Sector Subject Area (SSA) tier 2 | Apprenticeship starts age 25+ | Proportion of all 25+ apprenticeship starts | Proportion of all age starts on specific SSA at level | |||
2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | ||
3 | Engineering | 3,110 | 2,780 | 1.9% | 1.7% | 16.6% | 14.6% |
4 | Engineering | 760 | 870 | 0.5% | 0.5% | 67.9% | 70.9% |
Level | Standard name | Apprenticeship starts age 25+ | Proportion of all 25+ apprenticeship starts | Proportion of all age starts on specific standard at level | |||
2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | ||
3 | Digital Support Technician | 180 | 240 | 0.1% | 0.2% | 38.9% | 52.9% |
4 | Software Developer | 510 | 440 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 49.3% | 45.9% |
Notes:
(1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
(2) Age is based on age at the start of the programme.
(3) Data source is the Individualised Learner Record.
Further information on apprenticeship starts can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.
Apprenticeship starts at Level 6 and 7 in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the following tables. All apprenticeships at Level 6 and Level 7 are classed as degree-level apprenticeships.
Apprenticeship level | Age group | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Level 6 | Under 19 | 2,190 | 3,220 |
19-24 | 8,500 | 8,600 | |
25+ | 12,860 | 13,220 | |
All ages | 23,550 | 25,030 |
Apprenticeship level | Age group | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Level 7 | Under 19 | 360 | 450 |
19-24 | 7,630 | 7,770 | |
25+ | 11,700 | 13,540 | |
All ages | 19,680 | 21,760 |
Level 7 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the tables below, along with breakdowns by region, and where starts were supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds.
Level 7 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
10,450 | 10,650 |
Of which supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
8,420 | 8,670 |
Of which by region:
Region | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
East Midlands | 680 | 670 |
East of England | 1,110 | 1,060 |
London | 2,360 | 2,460 |
North East | 300 | 310 |
North West | 1,450 | 1,350 |
South East | 1,660 | 1,780 |
South West | 880 | 930 |
West Midlands | 1,010 | 1,050 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 800 | 850 |
Outside of England and unknown | 200 | 200 |
Apprenticeship starts on the Level 7 Senior Leadership standard in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the tables below, along with breakdowns by region, and where starts were supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds.
Level 7 Senior leader apprenticeship starts:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
4,880 | 6,110 |
Of which supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
4,210 | 5,270 |
Of which by region:
Region | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
East Midlands | 390 | 510 |
East of England | 520 | 640 |
London | 810 | 1,100 |
North East | 280 | 310 |
North West | 600 | 750 |
South East | 840 | 1,040 |
South West | 450 | 470 |
West Midlands | 580 | 650 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 350 | 560 |
Outside of England and unknown | 70 | 80 |
There were 5,540 achievements in the Business and Administration Route in the 2022/23 academic year. Of these, 4,020 were on the Senior Leader (ST0480) apprenticeship standard.
Further information on apprenticeship starts can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication, which can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.
Notes for tables:
(1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.
(2) Data source is the individualised Learner Record.
(3) Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Where the postcode is outside of England or not known it is included in the 'Outside of England and unknown' category.
(4) Geographies are taken from the National Statistics Postcode Lookup.
(5) Please see the 'Further education and skills statistics: methodology' document for more information about how 'supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds' is derived.
(6) Route information is based on the latest information held on the IfATE 'Search the apprenticeships' page at the point of publication.
Apprenticeship starts at Level 6 and 7 in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the following tables. All apprenticeships at Level 6 and Level 7 are classed as degree-level apprenticeships.
Apprenticeship level | Age group | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Level 6 | Under 19 | 2,190 | 3,220 |
19-24 | 8,500 | 8,600 | |
25+ | 12,860 | 13,220 | |
All ages | 23,550 | 25,030 |
Apprenticeship level | Age group | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Level 7 | Under 19 | 360 | 450 |
19-24 | 7,630 | 7,770 | |
25+ | 11,700 | 13,540 | |
All ages | 19,680 | 21,760 |
Level 7 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the tables below, along with breakdowns by region, and where starts were supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds.
Level 7 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
10,450 | 10,650 |
Of which supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
8,420 | 8,670 |
Of which by region:
Region | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
East Midlands | 680 | 670 |
East of England | 1,110 | 1,060 |
London | 2,360 | 2,460 |
North East | 300 | 310 |
North West | 1,450 | 1,350 |
South East | 1,660 | 1,780 |
South West | 880 | 930 |
West Midlands | 1,010 | 1,050 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 800 | 850 |
Outside of England and unknown | 200 | 200 |
Apprenticeship starts on the Level 7 Senior Leadership standard in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the tables below, along with breakdowns by region, and where starts were supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds.
Level 7 Senior leader apprenticeship starts:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
4,880 | 6,110 |
Of which supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
4,210 | 5,270 |
Of which by region:
Region | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
East Midlands | 390 | 510 |
East of England | 520 | 640 |
London | 810 | 1,100 |
North East | 280 | 310 |
North West | 600 | 750 |
South East | 840 | 1,040 |
South West | 450 | 470 |
West Midlands | 580 | 650 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 350 | 560 |
Outside of England and unknown | 70 | 80 |
There were 5,540 achievements in the Business and Administration Route in the 2022/23 academic year. Of these, 4,020 were on the Senior Leader (ST0480) apprenticeship standard.
Further information on apprenticeship starts can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication, which can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.
Notes for tables:
(1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.
(2) Data source is the individualised Learner Record.
(3) Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Where the postcode is outside of England or not known it is included in the 'Outside of England and unknown' category.
(4) Geographies are taken from the National Statistics Postcode Lookup.
(5) Please see the 'Further education and skills statistics: methodology' document for more information about how 'supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds' is derived.
(6) Route information is based on the latest information held on the IfATE 'Search the apprenticeships' page at the point of publication.
Apprenticeship starts at Level 6 and 7 in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the following tables. All apprenticeships at Level 6 and Level 7 are classed as degree-level apprenticeships.
Apprenticeship level | Age group | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Level 6 | Under 19 | 2,190 | 3,220 |
19-24 | 8,500 | 8,600 | |
25+ | 12,860 | 13,220 | |
All ages | 23,550 | 25,030 |
Apprenticeship level | Age group | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Level 7 | Under 19 | 360 | 450 |
19-24 | 7,630 | 7,770 | |
25+ | 11,700 | 13,540 | |
All ages | 19,680 | 21,760 |
Level 7 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the tables below, along with breakdowns by region, and where starts were supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds.
Level 7 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
10,450 | 10,650 |
Of which supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
8,420 | 8,670 |
Of which by region:
Region | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
East Midlands | 680 | 670 |
East of England | 1,110 | 1,060 |
London | 2,360 | 2,460 |
North East | 300 | 310 |
North West | 1,450 | 1,350 |
South East | 1,660 | 1,780 |
South West | 880 | 930 |
West Midlands | 1,010 | 1,050 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 800 | 850 |
Outside of England and unknown | 200 | 200 |
Apprenticeship starts on the Level 7 Senior Leadership standard in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the tables below, along with breakdowns by region, and where starts were supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds.
Level 7 Senior leader apprenticeship starts:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
4,880 | 6,110 |
Of which supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
4,210 | 5,270 |
Of which by region:
Region | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
East Midlands | 390 | 510 |
East of England | 520 | 640 |
London | 810 | 1,100 |
North East | 280 | 310 |
North West | 600 | 750 |
South East | 840 | 1,040 |
South West | 450 | 470 |
West Midlands | 580 | 650 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 350 | 560 |
Outside of England and unknown | 70 | 80 |
There were 5,540 achievements in the Business and Administration Route in the 2022/23 academic year. Of these, 4,020 were on the Senior Leader (ST0480) apprenticeship standard.
Further information on apprenticeship starts can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication, which can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.
Notes for tables:
(1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.
(2) Data source is the individualised Learner Record.
(3) Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Where the postcode is outside of England or not known it is included in the 'Outside of England and unknown' category.
(4) Geographies are taken from the National Statistics Postcode Lookup.
(5) Please see the 'Further education and skills statistics: methodology' document for more information about how 'supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds' is derived.
(6) Route information is based on the latest information held on the IfATE 'Search the apprenticeships' page at the point of publication.
Apprenticeship starts at Level 6 and 7 in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the following tables. All apprenticeships at Level 6 and Level 7 are classed as degree-level apprenticeships.
Apprenticeship level | Age group | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Level 6 | Under 19 | 2,190 | 3,220 |
19-24 | 8,500 | 8,600 | |
25+ | 12,860 | 13,220 | |
All ages | 23,550 | 25,030 |
Apprenticeship level | Age group | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
Level 7 | Under 19 | 360 | 450 |
19-24 | 7,630 | 7,770 | |
25+ | 11,700 | 13,540 | |
All ages | 19,680 | 21,760 |
Level 7 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the tables below, along with breakdowns by region, and where starts were supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds.
Level 7 Apprenticeship starts in the legal, finance and accounting route:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
10,450 | 10,650 |
Of which supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
8,420 | 8,670 |
Of which by region:
Region | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
East Midlands | 680 | 670 |
East of England | 1,110 | 1,060 |
London | 2,360 | 2,460 |
North East | 300 | 310 |
North West | 1,450 | 1,350 |
South East | 1,660 | 1,780 |
South West | 880 | 930 |
West Midlands | 1,010 | 1,050 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 800 | 850 |
Outside of England and unknown | 200 | 200 |
Apprenticeship starts on the Level 7 Senior Leadership standard in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years are shown in the tables below, along with breakdowns by region, and where starts were supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds.
Level 7 Senior leader apprenticeship starts:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
4,880 | 6,110 |
Of which supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds:
2021/22 | 2022/23 |
4,210 | 5,270 |
Of which by region:
Region | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
East Midlands | 390 | 510 |
East of England | 520 | 640 |
London | 810 | 1,100 |
North East | 280 | 310 |
North West | 600 | 750 |
South East | 840 | 1,040 |
South West | 450 | 470 |
West Midlands | 580 | 650 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 350 | 560 |
Outside of England and unknown | 70 | 80 |
There were 5,540 achievements in the Business and Administration Route in the 2022/23 academic year. Of these, 4,020 were on the Senior Leader (ST0480) apprenticeship standard.
Further information on apprenticeship starts can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication, which can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.
Notes for tables:
(1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.
(2) Data source is the individualised Learner Record.
(3) Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Where the postcode is outside of England or not known it is included in the 'Outside of England and unknown' category.
(4) Geographies are taken from the National Statistics Postcode Lookup.
(5) Please see the 'Further education and skills statistics: methodology' document for more information about how 'supported by Apprenticeship service account levy funds' is derived.
(6) Route information is based on the latest information held on the IfATE 'Search the apprenticeships' page at the point of publication.
For an organisation to deliver apprenticeship end-point assessments, they must be recognised by their external quality assurance regulator. For level 7 apprenticeship standards, this can be Ofqual, Office for Students, or in some cases, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.
Once approved by the regulator, the end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) is required to be on the Apprenticeship Provider Assessment Register (APAR) so that they can be selected by the training provider, and be eligible for government funding.
Currently, there are 110 EPAOs listed on the APAR offering end-point assessment of level 7 apprenticeship standards. Of these, 64 are higher education institutions, 9 are other educational institutions, 9 are independent training providers, 11 are awarding bodies or subsidiaries of awarding bodies, and 17 are organisations that do not fall into any of those categories.
Starts on the Level 7 Senior Leader apprenticeship standard account for 1.8% of all apprenticeship starts. Provisional figures for the 2022/23 full academic year show 6,110 apprenticeship starts on the standard.
Total spend on the Senior Leader standard in 2022/23 was £67 million. This covers the costs of apprenticeship training and assessment, as well as any additional payments to employers and training providers.
91% of this spend was for Senior Leader apprentices in levy-paying employers.
According to the Office for Students (OfS) Register, nine providers have been granted the right to use ‘university’ in their title since 2018. The OfS Register is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/the-register/the-ofs-register/#/.
Information regarding these providers’ legal names, their trading names, their contact addresses, and the year the use of the word ‘university’ was granted, has been extracted from the OfS Register and is included in the table below.
Information on the names of providers prior to them receiving their university title is not available on the OfS register, but is included in the table.
Provider’s legal name | Provider’s trading name(s) | Previous name | Provider’s contact address | Date use of 'university' granted |
St. George's Hospital Medical School | St. George's, University of London | St. George's Hospital Medical School | St. George's Hospital | 2022 |
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College | Royal Holloway, University of London | Royal Holloway and Bedford New College | Egham Hill | 2022 |
Arts University Plymouth | Arts University Plymouth | Plymouth College of Art | Tavistock Place | 2022 |
The London School of Economics and Political Science | Not applicable | The London School of Economics and Political Science | Houghton Street | 2022 |
Ravensbourne University London | Not applicable | Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication | 6 Penrose Way | 2018 |
BIMM University Limited | BIMM University | BIMM Institute | 2 Bartholomew’s | 2022 |
Hartpury University | Not applicable | Hartpury College | Hartpury House | 2019 |
Northeastern University – London | Northeastern University London | New College of the Humanities | Devon House | 2022 |
Regent's University London Limited | Regent's University London | Regent's College | Inner Circle | 2020 |
The department does not hold representative data on prior qualifications held by apprentices, as this is not information that is mandatory for training providers to submit through an apprentice’s individual learner record. The department will only fund apprentices to undertake an apprenticeship at the same or lower level than a qualification they already hold if the apprenticeship allows the individual to acquire substantive new skills, and the provider can show that the content of the training is materially different from any prior qualification. This is to ensure that the department is not funding any duplication in training.
The department has seen year-on-year growth of degree level apprenticeships (Levels 6 and 7) with over 190,000 starts since their introduction in the 2014/15 academic year. An additional £40 million is being provided over the next two years to support degree apprenticeship providers to expand and help more people access this provision, on top of the £8 million investment in 2022/23.
The department does not publish apprenticeship starts and achievements by occupation but can use occupational maps from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to estimate occupation for apprenticeship standards. The occupational maps can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/occupational-maps/what-are-the-occupational-maps/.
In the 2021/22 academic year there were 68,400 starts on apprenticeship standards relating to occupations on the ‘Skilled Worker visa: shortage occupations’ list. The list can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations. These starts represent 20% of all starts on apprenticeship standards. There were 24,300 achievements of apprenticeship standards on the list, representing 21% of all achievements on apprenticeship standards.
Note:
The department does not publish apprenticeship starts and achievements by occupation but can use occupational maps from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to estimate occupation for apprenticeship standards. The occupational maps can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/occupational-maps/what-are-the-occupational-maps/.
In the 2021/22 academic year there were 68,400 starts on apprenticeship standards relating to occupations on the ‘Skilled Worker visa: shortage occupations’ list. The list can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations. These starts represent 20% of all starts on apprenticeship standards. There were 24,300 achievements of apprenticeship standards on the list, representing 21% of all achievements on apprenticeship standards.
Note:
The data for all three tables below cover English-domiciled foundation year students studying at approved fee cap English higher education (HE) institutions and further education (FE) colleges.
The data is currently unpublished and is based on internal department analysis of Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data. As such, figures are rounded to the nearest five in line with the following HESA guidance: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/about/regulation/data-protection/rounding-and-suppression-anonymise-statistics.
The price group data for the 2018/19 academic year is not directly comparable to price group data for the following academic years because of a change in the system for classifying subjects from the 2019/20 academic year onwards.
The number of students enrolled onto one-year foundation courses is shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Full-person equivalent of foundation year entrants studying one-year courses at HE institutions and FE colleges in England since the 2018/19 academic year.
Academic Year | Number of students undertaking a one-year foundation year course |
2018/19 | 35,995 |
2019/20 | 43,395 |
2020/21 | 53,590 |
2021/22 | 69,325 |
The number of foundation year students studying in each of the different price groups since the 2018/19 academic year is shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Full-person equivalent of foundation year entrants at HE institutions and FE colleges in England since the 2018/19 academic year shown by price group.
| Academic Year | |||
Price Group | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
B | 9,315 | 10,585 | 9,510 | 11,260 |
C1.1 | 2,220 | 2,450 | 2,700 | 2,900 |
C1.2 | 2,475 | 2,470 | 2,860 | 3,160 |
C2 | 4,870 | 7,105 | 9,440 | 10,905 |
D | 15,065 | 20,785 | 29,070 | 41,090 |
The number of students studying a foundation year in a business and management or social sciences degree for each academic year since 2018/19 is shown in Table 3.
Table 3: Full-person equivalent of foundation year entrants studying business and management and social science degrees at HE institutions and FE colleges in England since the 2018/19 academic year.
Academic Year | ||||
Subject | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Business and management studies | 8,900 | 13,600 | 23,420 | 35,585 |
Social sciences | 3,855 | 6,265 | 6,345 | 6,915 |
The data for all three tables below cover English-domiciled foundation year students studying at approved fee cap English higher education (HE) institutions and further education (FE) colleges.
The data is currently unpublished and is based on internal department analysis of Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data. As such, figures are rounded to the nearest five in line with the following HESA guidance: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/about/regulation/data-protection/rounding-and-suppression-anonymise-statistics.
The price group data for the 2018/19 academic year is not directly comparable to price group data for the following academic years because of a change in the system for classifying subjects from the 2019/20 academic year onwards.
The number of students enrolled onto one-year foundation courses is shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Full-person equivalent of foundation year entrants studying one-year courses at HE institutions and FE colleges in England since the 2018/19 academic year.
Academic Year | Number of students undertaking a one-year foundation year course |
2018/19 | 35,995 |
2019/20 | 43,395 |
2020/21 | 53,590 |
2021/22 | 69,325 |
The number of foundation year students studying in each of the different price groups since the 2018/19 academic year is shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Full-person equivalent of foundation year entrants at HE institutions and FE colleges in England since the 2018/19 academic year shown by price group.
| Academic Year | |||
Price Group | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
B | 9,315 | 10,585 | 9,510 | 11,260 |
C1.1 | 2,220 | 2,450 | 2,700 | 2,900 |
C1.2 | 2,475 | 2,470 | 2,860 | 3,160 |
C2 | 4,870 | 7,105 | 9,440 | 10,905 |
D | 15,065 | 20,785 | 29,070 | 41,090 |
The number of students studying a foundation year in a business and management or social sciences degree for each academic year since 2018/19 is shown in Table 3.
Table 3: Full-person equivalent of foundation year entrants studying business and management and social science degrees at HE institutions and FE colleges in England since the 2018/19 academic year.
Academic Year | ||||
Subject | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Business and management studies | 8,900 | 13,600 | 23,420 | 35,585 |
Social sciences | 3,855 | 6,265 | 6,345 | 6,915 |
The data for all three tables below cover English-domiciled foundation year students studying at approved fee cap English higher education (HE) institutions and further education (FE) colleges.
The data is currently unpublished and is based on internal department analysis of Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data. As such, figures are rounded to the nearest five in line with the following HESA guidance: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/about/regulation/data-protection/rounding-and-suppression-anonymise-statistics.
The price group data for the 2018/19 academic year is not directly comparable to price group data for the following academic years because of a change in the system for classifying subjects from the 2019/20 academic year onwards.
The number of students enrolled onto one-year foundation courses is shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Full-person equivalent of foundation year entrants studying one-year courses at HE institutions and FE colleges in England since the 2018/19 academic year.
Academic Year | Number of students undertaking a one-year foundation year course |
2018/19 | 35,995 |
2019/20 | 43,395 |
2020/21 | 53,590 |
2021/22 | 69,325 |
The number of foundation year students studying in each of the different price groups since the 2018/19 academic year is shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Full-person equivalent of foundation year entrants at HE institutions and FE colleges in England since the 2018/19 academic year shown by price group.
| Academic Year | |||
Price Group | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
B | 9,315 | 10,585 | 9,510 | 11,260 |
C1.1 | 2,220 | 2,450 | 2,700 | 2,900 |
C1.2 | 2,475 | 2,470 | 2,860 | 3,160 |
C2 | 4,870 | 7,105 | 9,440 | 10,905 |
D | 15,065 | 20,785 | 29,070 | 41,090 |
The number of students studying a foundation year in a business and management or social sciences degree for each academic year since 2018/19 is shown in Table 3.
Table 3: Full-person equivalent of foundation year entrants studying business and management and social science degrees at HE institutions and FE colleges in England since the 2018/19 academic year.
Academic Year | ||||
Subject | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Business and management studies | 8,900 | 13,600 | 23,420 | 35,585 |
Social sciences | 3,855 | 6,265 | 6,345 | 6,915 |
Local authorities have a statutory duty to review and assess air quality in their areas. Local authorities will determine what monitoring is necessary and decide where monitoring takes place with regard to statutory Local Air Quality Management guidance. Under the Local Air Quality Management Framework local authorities are expected to produce and publish annual air quality status reports which are to be submitted annually to Defra. Defra assesses these annual status reports and expects local authorities to take any comments or requirements made by Defra into account.
Local authorities are primarily responsible to their local electorates and will have their own complaints processes. Citizens with concerns or complaints about the way in which a local authority undertakes local air quality statutory duties are therefore advised to raise the issue with the local authority. Ultimately a local authority failing to fulfil statutory duties could be taken to court by interested parties. If a local authority fails to discharge its statutory air quality duties set out in the Environment Act 1995 the Secretary of State of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has the power to direct a local authority to take such steps as may be specified in the directions.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to review and assess air quality in their areas. Local authorities will determine what monitoring is necessary and decide where monitoring takes place with regard to statutory Local Air Quality Management guidance. Under the Local Air Quality Management Framework local authorities are expected to produce and publish annual air quality status reports which are to be submitted annually to Defra. Defra assesses these annual status reports and expects local authorities to take any comments or requirements made by Defra into account.
Local authorities are primarily responsible to their local electorates and will have their own complaints processes. Citizens with concerns or complaints about the way in which a local authority undertakes local air quality statutory duties are therefore advised to raise the issue with the local authority. Ultimately a local authority failing to fulfil statutory duties could be taken to court by interested parties. If a local authority fails to discharge its statutory air quality duties set out in the Environment Act 1995 the Secretary of State of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has the power to direct a local authority to take such steps as may be specified in the directions.
The Local Air Quality Management Framework is set out in Part IV of the Environment Act 1995. It requires local authorities to review and assess air quality within their boundaries, and to produce an annual report detailing any monitoring results and any air pollution issues they have identified. This includes assessing impacts of traffic measures which may include monitoring. Where an objective for a specific pollutant is exceeded the local authority must declare an Air Quality Management Area and produce an Air Quality Action Plan to address the exceedance.
Annual reports must be made available to the public and will usually be accessible on the local authority’s website. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs provides support for local authorities to carry out their statutory duties under the framework via statutory guidance and a dedicated helpline.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission have published the guidance document “Meeting the Equality Duty in Policy and Decision-Making” which is available to all public authorities. Their guide provides advice on how to assess the potential impact on people with protected characteristics of a public authority’s functions, including its policies, practices and decisions.
The Local Air Quality Management Framework is set out in Part IV of the Environment Act 1995. It requires local authorities to review and assess air quality within their boundaries, and to produce an annual report detailing any monitoring results and any air pollution issues they have identified. Where an objective for a specific pollutant is exceeded the local authority must declare an Air Quality Management Area and produce an Air Quality Action Plan to address the exceedance.
Annual reports must be made available to the public and will usually be accessible on the local authority’s website. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs provides support for local authorities to carry out their statutory duties under the framework via statutory guidance and a dedicated helpline.
Local traffic authorities have a statutory duty, under the Traffic Management Act 2004, to manage their networks with the aim of ‘securing the expeditious movement of traffic’. They are responsible for using their knowledge of traffic conditions and the road network in their area to decide on appropriate traffic management policies that balance the needs of local residents, emergency services, local businesses, and those who work in and visit the area. The Department has recently published statutory network management duty guidance for local authorities which emphasises the importance of consultation on road closures and other schemes.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission have published the guidance document “Meeting the Equality Duty in Policy and Decision-Making” which is available to all public authorities. Their guide provides advice on how to assess the potential impact on people with protected characteristics of a public authority’s functions, including its policies, practices and decisions.
The Local Air Quality Management Framework is set out in Part IV of the Environment Act 1995. It requires local authorities to review and assess air quality within their boundaries, and to produce an annual report detailing any monitoring results and any air pollution issues they have identified. Where an objective for a specific pollutant is exceeded the local authority must declare an Air Quality Management Area and produce an Air Quality Action Plan to address the exceedance.
Annual reports must be made available to the public and will usually be accessible on the local authority’s website. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs provides support for local authorities to carry out their statutory duties under the framework via statutory guidance and a dedicated helpline.
Local traffic authorities have a statutory duty, under the Traffic Management Act 2004, to manage their networks with the aim of ‘securing the expeditious movement of traffic’. They are responsible for using their knowledge of traffic conditions and the road network in their area to decide on appropriate traffic management policies that balance the needs of local residents, emergency services, local businesses, and those who work in and visit the area. The Department has recently published statutory network management duty guidance for local authorities which emphasises the importance of consultation on road closures and other schemes.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission have published the guidance document “Meeting the Equality Duty in Policy and Decision-Making” which is available to all public authorities. Their guide provides advice on how to assess the potential impact on people with protected characteristics of a public authority’s functions, including its policies, practices and decisions.
The Local Air Quality Management Framework is set out in Part IV of the Environment Act 1995. It requires local authorities to review and assess air quality within their boundaries, and to produce an annual report detailing any monitoring results and any air pollution issues they have identified. Where an objective for a specific pollutant is exceeded the local authority must declare an Air Quality Management Area and produce an Air Quality Action Plan to address the exceedance.
Annual reports must be made available to the public and will usually be accessible on the local authority’s website. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs provides support for local authorities to carry out their statutory duties under the framework via statutory guidance and a dedicated helpline.
Local traffic authorities have a statutory duty, under the Traffic Management Act 2004, to manage their networks with the aim of ‘securing the expeditious movement of traffic’. They are responsible for using their knowledge of traffic conditions and the road network in their area to decide on appropriate traffic management policies that balance the needs of local residents, emergency services, local businesses, and those who work in and visit the area. The Department has recently published statutory network management duty guidance for local authorities which emphasises the importance of consultation on road closures and other schemes.
It is for local authorities to ensure that any changes they propose to make to road layouts are delivered in line with relevant legislation, consultation and noticing requirements.
The Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF) was announced on 9 May and included £225 million of funding in two tranches for local authorities in England. Alongside the funding, the Government published additional Network Management Duty guidance. This clearly set out what the Government expects local authorities to do in making changes to their road layouts to encourage cycling and walking in response to Covid-19 and to support a green restart and recovery. These measures included road closures, for example to create low-traffic neighbourhoods.
The guidance is clear that the Public Sector Equality Duty still applies, and in making any changes to their road networks, authorities must consider the needs of disabled people and those with other protected characteristics, for example by carrying out Equality Impact Assessments on proposed schemes.
It is for local authorities to ensure any such assessments are carried out in line with relevant procedures.
The Local Air Quality Management regime requires that local authorities review and assess air quality in their area. This will normally include monitoring pollution levels especially where the local authority assesses that air quality objectives may be exceeded.
It is for local authorities to ensure that any changes they propose to make to road layouts are delivered in line with relevant legislation, consultation and noticing requirements.
The Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF) was announced on 9 May and included £225 million of funding in two tranches for local authorities in England. Alongside the funding, the Government published additional Network Management Duty guidance. This clearly set out what the Government expects local authorities to do in making changes to their road layouts to encourage cycling and walking in response to Covid-19 and to support a green restart and recovery. These measures included road closures, for example to create low-traffic neighbourhoods.
The guidance is clear that the Public Sector Equality Duty still applies, and in making any changes to their road networks, authorities must consider the needs of disabled people and those with other protected characteristics, for example by carrying out Equality Impact Assessments on proposed schemes.
It is for local authorities to ensure any such assessments are carried out in line with relevant procedures.
The Local Air Quality Management regime requires that local authorities review and assess air quality in their area. This will normally include monitoring pollution levels especially where the local authority assesses that air quality objectives may be exceeded.
The Department for Transport produces statistics on road congestion on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) and local ‘A’ roads in England. These statistics, used to monitor road congestion and journey time reliability, are compiled from journey time data from in-vehicle global positioning systems (GPS).
The statistics report two measures of congestion- average speed as an estimate of the physical level of congestion and average delay which is the difference between speed limit (SRN) or free flow (local ‘A’ roads) travel times and average journey times.
Statistics from April 2015 onwards for congestion on the SRN and January 2014 onwards for local ‘A’ roads are published online as part of the 'Road congestion and travel times' collection on gov.uk.
It is for local authorities to ensure that any changes they propose to make to road layouts are delivered in line with relevant legislation, consultation and noticing requirements.
The Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF) was announced on 9 May and included £225 million of funding in two tranches for local authorities in England. Alongside the funding, the Government published additional Network Management Duty guidance. This clearly set out what the Government expects local authorities to do in making changes to their road layouts to encourage cycling and walking in response to Covid-19 and to support a green restart and recovery. These measures included road closures, for example to create low-traffic neighbourhoods.
The guidance is clear that the Public Sector Equality Duty still applies, and in making any changes to their road networks, authorities must consider the needs of disabled people and those with other protected characteristics, for example by carrying out Equality Impact Assessments on proposed schemes.
It is for local authorities to ensure any such assessments are carried out in line with relevant procedures.
The Local Air Quality Management regime requires that local authorities review and assess air quality in their area. This will normally include monitoring pollution levels especially where the local authority assesses that air quality objectives may be exceeded.
It is for local authorities to ensure that any changes they propose to make to road layouts are delivered in line with relevant legislation, consultation and noticing requirements.
The Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF) was announced on 9 May and included £225 million of funding in two tranches for local authorities in England. Alongside the funding, the Government published additional Network Management Duty guidance. This clearly set out what the Government expects local authorities to do in making changes to their road layouts to encourage cycling and walking in response to Covid-19 and to support a green restart and recovery. These measures included road closures, for example to create low-traffic neighbourhoods.
The guidance is clear that the Public Sector Equality Duty still applies, and in making any changes to their road networks, authorities must consider the needs of disabled people and those with other protected characteristics, for example by carrying out Equality Impact Assessments on proposed schemes.
It is for local authorities to ensure any such assessments are carried out in line with relevant procedures.
The Local Air Quality Management regime requires that local authorities review and assess air quality in their area. This will normally include monitoring pollution levels especially where the local authority assesses that air quality objectives may be exceeded.
Where a local authority wishes to close a road permanently, it is required to make a permanent traffic regulation order. A permanent order gives legal effect to the closure and any associated restrictions. The procedure for advertising and consulting on traffic regulation orders is set out in The Local Authorities' Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996.
Before the order can come into force, the regulations require the authority to publish a “notice of proposals” concerning the intended closure in a newspaper circulating in the area. The authority is also required to "take such other steps as it may consider appropriate for ensuring that adequate publicity about the order is given to persons likely to be affected by its provisions". There is then a 21-day period in which members of the public can object to the order.
Highway authorities are responsible for managing their road networks and for proposing and making all types of Traffic Orders. There is no specific legal requirement for highway authorities proposing to permanently close roads or divert traffic via Traffic Orders to assess the impact on emissions. There are requirements for them to consult, in some circumstances, local businesses, communities and those affected by the changes.
There are specific circumstances when referral of Traffic Orders is made to the Secretary of State, for example, in relation to extending experimental Traffic Orders or where the same road has been closed several times for special events. The Government has no authority to review changes made by Traffic Orders which may impact on emissions.
Elected authorities, including elected mayors, are not provided with any duties under transport legislation to monitor the impact of emissions in their areas of responsibility.
Highway authorities are responsible for managing their road networks and for proposing and making all types of Traffic Orders. There is no specific legal requirement for highway authorities proposing to permanently close roads or divert traffic via Traffic Orders to assess the impact on emissions. There are requirements for them to consult, in some circumstances, local businesses, communities and those affected by the changes.
There are specific circumstances when referral of Traffic Orders is made to the Secretary of State, for example, in relation to extending experimental Traffic Orders or where the same road has been closed several times for special events. The Government has no authority to review changes made by Traffic Orders which may impact on emissions.
Elected authorities, including elected mayors, are not provided with any duties under transport legislation to monitor the impact of emissions in their areas of responsibility.
Highway authorities are responsible for managing their road networks and for proposing and making all types of Traffic Orders. There is no specific legal requirement for highway authorities proposing to permanently close roads or divert traffic via Traffic Orders to assess the impact on emissions. There are requirements for them to consult, in some circumstances, local businesses, communities and those affected by the changes.
There are specific circumstances when referral of Traffic Orders is made to the Secretary of State, for example, in relation to extending experimental Traffic Orders or where the same road has been closed several times for special events. The Government has no authority to review changes made by Traffic Orders which may impact on emissions.
Elected authorities, including elected mayors, are not provided with any duties under transport legislation to monitor the impact of emissions in their areas of responsibility.
The Department continues to plan and prepare for a range of pandemic and emerging infectious disease scenarios, including those caused by respiratory contact and vector-borne pathogens, both influenza and non-influenza related. These plans are built on lessons learned from exercises and incidents, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
NHS England routinely monitor the total number of ventilators available against the number of ventilators in use. NHS England published Adult critical care surge plan guidance in December 2023 which sets out the actions to ensure capacity is mobilised at a sufficient rate to meet increases in demand. In response to any pandemic, NHS England would implement the published surge planning guidance to review capacity and demand within the current context of the situation. A copy of this guidance is attached.
The Department’s COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve was established to operate for a set lifespan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, after which point it would close. Due to lower-than-expected demand for equipment from the stockpile by the National Health Service, the strategic pandemic intensive care unit reserve is now closing in March 2024 and there are no current plans to replace it. No estimate has been made of the cost of replacing it.
We are unable to provide the information requested as it is commercially sensitive.
The COVID Strategic ICU Reserve was set up in April 2020, in response to shortages in key respiratory equipment and in anticipation of increased demand during the pandemic. Over the last two years, the National Health Service has not needed to access the reserve to manage increases in the numbers of respiratory patients. With lack of demand from the NHS, and increasing costs associated with storing and maintaining ageing equipment, the decision was taken to close the reserve by March 2024.
Information on the money raised from the auction of equipment is not currently available. The following table shows the planned disposal routes for equipment within the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve from 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2024:
| Holdings at December 2023 | Offered or offering for sale | Have been destroyed | Scheduled for destruction | Donated to medical charities for use overseas |
Enteral feed pumps | 1140 | 1025 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Humidifiers | 4714 | 1456 | 0 | 3258 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Anaesthetic | 53 | 17 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Emergency | 5093 | 1140 | 3159 | 792 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - ICU | 3083 | 3075 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Transport | 949 | 148 | 0 | 789 | 0 |
Non-invasive Ventilator (NIV) bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPaP) | 3339 | 3085 | 0 | 252 | 0 |
NIV continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) | 6682 | 0 | 702 | 5980 | 0 |
NIV high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) | 187 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Oxygen concentrators | 2874 | 2861 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
Oxygen regulators | 1564 | 1461 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Patient monitors | 2439 | 2353 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Suction pumps | 307 | 289 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Syringe drivers | 21319 | 8000 | 9318 | 3976 | 0 |
Volumetric pumps | 1588 | 1563 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Notes:
The COVID Strategic ICU Reserve was set up in April 2020, in response to shortages in key respiratory equipment and in anticipation of increased demand during the pandemic. Over the last two years, the National Health Service has not needed to access the reserve to manage increases in the numbers of respiratory patients. With lack of demand from the NHS, and increasing costs associated with storing and maintaining ageing equipment, the decision was taken to close the reserve by March 2024.
Information on the money raised from the auction of equipment is not currently available. The following table shows the planned disposal routes for equipment within the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve from 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2024:
| Holdings at December 2023 | Offered or offering for sale | Have been destroyed | Scheduled for destruction | Donated to medical charities for use overseas |
Enteral feed pumps | 1140 | 1025 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Humidifiers | 4714 | 1456 | 0 | 3258 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Anaesthetic | 53 | 17 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Emergency | 5093 | 1140 | 3159 | 792 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - ICU | 3083 | 3075 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mechanical ventilator - Transport | 949 | 148 | 0 | 789 | 0 |
Non-invasive Ventilator (NIV) bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPaP) | 3339 | 3085 | 0 | 252 | 0 |
NIV continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) | 6682 | 0 | 702 | 5980 | 0 |
NIV high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) | 187 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Oxygen concentrators | 2874 | 2861 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
Oxygen regulators | 1564 | 1461 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Patient monitors | 2439 | 2353 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Suction pumps | 307 | 289 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Syringe drivers | 21319 | 8000 | 9318 | 3976 | 0 |
Volumetric pumps | 1588 | 1563 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Notes:
The following table shows the contents of the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve as of the first week of December 2023, the latest period for which data is available:
Equipment | December 2023 |
Enteral feed pumps | 1140 |
Humidifiers | 4714 |
Mechanical ventilator - Anaesthetic | 53 |
Mechanical ventilator - Emergency | 5093 |
Mechanical ventilator - ICU | 3083 |
Mechanical ventilator - Transport | 949 |
Non-invasive Ventilator (NIV) bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPaP) | 3339 |
NIV continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) | 6682 |
NIV high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) | 187 |
Oxygen concentrators | 2874 |
Oxygen regulators | 1564 |
Patient monitors | 2439 |
Suction pumps | 307 |
Syringe drivers | 21319 |
Volumetric pumps | 1588 |
The warehousing of the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve is managed by NHS Supply Chain on behalf of the Department. The requirement is based on number of pallets. On 31 December 2023, the reserve totalled 29,844 pallets, of which 3,317 related to ventilators.
We cannot perfectly predict the characteristics of a future pandemic or know precisely which groups will be most affected by it. We are therefore strengthening our pandemic preparedness by considering the flexible and scalable response capabilities that can be adapted to any threat that the health and social care system may need to respond to.
The National Risk Register 2023 outlines the most serious threats facing the United Kingdom with an updated assessment of likelihood and potential impact. Risk 54 describes the risk from a pandemic and provides a reasonable worst-case scenario (RWCS) for an unmitigated respiratory pandemic, as well variations based on different pathogens with different routes of transmission. A copy of the register is attached.
The RWCS assumes that 50% of the UK’s population fall ill during the whole course of the pandemic, with approximately 1.34 million people estimated to require hospital treatment, possibly resulting in up to 840,000 deaths.
We continue to review our pandemic planning in response to information and lessons learned from COVID-19 and other disease outbreaks.
The COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Reserve was set up in April 2020, in response to shortages in key respiratory equipment and in anticipation of increased demand during the pandemic. Over the last two years, the National Health Service has not needed to access the reserve to manage increases in the numbers of respiratory patients. With lack of demand from the NHS, and increasing costs associated with storing and maintaining ageing equipment, the decision was taken to close the reserve by March 2024. Until then, the reserve will continue provide a reserve capable of supporting 1,000 ICU beds.
During winter 2022/23, the COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve had a core holding equivalent to supporting 3,000 intensive care bays for up to six weeks, a level consistent with the demand peak of January 2021. Between October 2022 and March 2023, the number of COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation peaked at 232 and the National Health Service did not require additional equipment from the reserve to meet this demand. The current holding of 1,000 bays is sufficient to meet the demand seen across the last two winters and enables excess holdings to be disposed of ahead of the closure of the reserve in March 2024.
The COVID Strategic Intensive Care Unit Reserve will hold equipment on hand for emergency use in the National Health Service until March 2024. The Government continues to prepare for a range of pandemic and emerging infectious disease scenarios, in line with our revised assessment of the pandemic risk. This includes preparing for all five routes of disease transmission.
The Department continues to plan and prepare for a range of pandemic and emerging infectious disease scenarios, including those caused by respiratory (influenza and non-influenza), contact and vector-borne pathogens. The Department’s plans build on lessons learned from exercises and incidents, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department currently holds a strategic reserve of intensive care unit equipment, originally established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategic reserve holds both invasive and non-invasive ventilators, with supporting equipment which can be accessed by National Health Service trusts across the United Kingdom and provides capacity to provide support for up to 1,000 intensive care unit bays. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department additionally procured a range of medicines to support intensive care, based on critical need and supply resilience. This included, but was not limited to, analgesia, sedation, and antibiotics. Options to maintain access to these products, including stockpiling for a future pandemic and potential volumes required, are currently being considered.
NHS England has published Adult Critical Care surge planning guidance, which sets out escalation thresholds and the actions required by trusts, systems, regional and national teams to support a response to any sudden increase in demand on services. A copy of this guidance is attached.
The United Kingdom currently stockpiles medicines, vaccines, respiratory equipment including ventilators, and clinical consumables for a future pandemic.
The Department holds a strategic reserve of Intensive Care Unit equipment, originally set up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is currently scaled to provide support for up to 1,000 intensive care unit bays and holds both invasive and non-invasive ventilators which can be accessed by National Health Service trusts across the UK.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department additionally procured a range of medicines to support intensive care, based on critical need and supply resilience. This included, but was not limited to, analgesia, sedation, and antibiotics. Options to maintain access to these products, including stockpiling for a future pandemic and potential volumes required, are currently being considered.
We estimate there were 11,100 and 12,200 employers with wage bills between £2m and £3m, in the 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023 tax-years respectively.
Please find a table of the estimated number of employers paying the Apprenticeship Levy in each tax year below:
Tax Year | Number of Employers |
2017 to 18 | 32,200 |
2018 to 19 | 31,400 |
2019 to 20 | 30,600 |
2020 to 21 | 30,400 |
2021 to 22 | 33,400 |