Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2018 to Question 144194, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for apprentice travel.

Both the department and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, have regular dialogue with my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in support of meeting the government’s ambitions for high quality apprenticeships.

We do not want the cost of travel to deter people from starting an apprenticeship, including those in rural or disadvantaged areas. We are working with the Department for Transport to explore options on the practicality of implementing a travel scheme to enable young people to access apprenticeships. The Department for Transport has commissioned research to investigate possible options that could support apprentices travel costs - assessing schemes in the UK and elsewhere.