Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount Scottish businesses will pay on an annual basis under the proposed Apprenticeship Levy.

The Apprenticeship Levy will apply across the UK and will be collected from employers on a UK wide basis. An allowance of £15,000 means only those with a paybill exceeding £3million will have to pay it; less than 2 per cent of all employers. Regional level estimates of those likely to pay the Apprenticeship Levy are not available. However, the UK government remains committed to doing all we can to make the system work for employers wherever they are in the UK.