Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on (a) short-skills sectors of setting apprenticeship bands which are lower than the average costing proposals submitted and (b) the expected quality of apprenticeships delivered against the standards and on training providers of those bands being so set lower.

The independent Institute for Apprenticeships is responsible for advising the department on the appropriate funding band for individual apprenticeship standards. The Institute takes into account a range of evidence to provide a recommendation. This includes employer evidence of eligible delivery costs, the cost and funding band of equivalent frameworks, affordability, and the expertise of their employer route panels.

The apprenticeship funding band upper limit represents the maximum amount of government funding that can be used to support high-quality apprentice training and assessment. Employers are encouraged to negotiate and agree a price with training providers and are free to agree a price above the funding band, although the employer will be liable for any costs above the funding band limit.