Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of funding for apprenticeships.

This government is widening the apprenticeships offer into a levy-funded growth and skills offer. This will create opportunities for learners of all ages and give employers greater flexibility to address critical skills shortages in their workforce, while driving economic growth.

As a first step, this will include shorter duration apprenticeships and new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors. This will fuel innovation and help more people learn new high quality skills at work.

Future funding for the growth and skills offer, including apprenticeships, will be determined following the spending review.