Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential reasons for the reduction in the number of apprenticeship starts after the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced.

Our reforms, the largest changes to apprenticeships government has ever made, are supporting an increase in the quality of apprenticeships and allowing apprentices to develop their talents and progress their careers. It is only natural that employers, and the apprenticeship market, take time to reflect on what the changes mean and how to maximise the opportunities they represent.

In light of these changes, it is premature to draw definitive conclusions regarding the potential reasons for any fall in starts, on the basis of the limited data available. The Government’s reforms are ultimately intended to invest in the potential of people of all ages and backgrounds.

We are consulting widely with employers, providers and apprentices and are continually reviewing the impact of these reforms.