Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she is taking steps to help encourage people to enter careers in the (a) hospitality and (b) retail sectors.

We regularly meet with businesses in the hospitality and retail sectors to identify and address skills needs. Immediate support includes: £900m annually for dedicated Work Coaches, adding hospitality and catering qualifications to the Free Courses for Jobs (part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee).

A new employment scheme, The Hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP), has also been launched to upskill and match jobseekers with hospitality roles. Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are working with businesses to consider how best to strengthen recruitment, training and retention.

The Retail Sector Council recently published a discussion document, Retail - The Great Enabler, inviting comments on the key challenges for the sector including skills and employment.