Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make representations to Naric to recognise airline transport pilots' licence ground schooling as a formal accredited qualification.

In the 2015 General Aviation Strategy the Government made a commitment to promote apprenticeships and other GA training initiatives in England and we discuss training regularly with the General and Business Aviation Strategic Forum, most recently in January 2017.

We have taken steps to ensure that approved qualifications for the purposes of Tier 4 visas include aviation licences, ratings and certificates issued in accordance with EU legislation by the UK's Civil Aviation Authority.

Employers have already developed new apprenticeships standards in aviation which include Airside Ground Specialist and Aviation Operations Manager with the Commercial Airline Pilot standard currently in development.