Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps during the absence of a devolved administration to hold discussions with the Permanent Secretary on the best way to allocate the apprenticeship levy to maximum effect for promoting skills among young people.

While Northern Ireland does not currently have an active administration, the UK government will provide the appropriate support and stability in its absence.

The government will make sure that devolved administrations receive a fair share of the apprenticeship levy. HM Treasury has agreed with each administration how much finanical support will be provided. The devolved administrations will receive £425 million in 2017/18, £442 million in 2018/19 and £460 million in 2019/20. As skills is a devolved matter it will be for the devolved administrations to decide how funds raised from the levy should be used.

Department officials were in regular discussions with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to consider the implications of the apprenticeship levy on their own apprenticeship programmes and for cross-border employers.