Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department (a) paid in apprenticeship levy fees and (b) spent from its apprenticeship levy funds between September 2021 and August 2023.

Between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2023, the department’s levy declarations, including the 10% government top-up and as shown in its apprenticeship service account, was £4 million. In the same period, the department’s levy spend was £4.1 million.

The funds in apprenticeship service accounts are available for levy-paying employers to draw on for 24 months before they expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis.

This spend covers the costs of apprenticeship training and assessment and levy transfers to other employers. It excludes any additional payments made to employers, providers, and apprentices, such as the care leaver’s bursary.