Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the recruitment industry will contribute in apprenticeship levy payments in 2017-18.

The most recent UK wide forecasts of the number of employers paying the levy in different sectors and amount paid by sector are published by the Department for Education, and can be found online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/545145/Apprenticeships_-expected_levy_and_total_spend_-_Aug_2016.pdf.

This suggested that 1,730 employers would be in the Administrative and Support Service sector, which includes employers in the recruitment industry. A more detailed sector breakdown, splitting out companies registered under UK Standard Industry Classification Code Section 78 (Employment Activities), is not available.

The Apprenticeship Levy applies to all employers operating across all sectors. An allowance of £15,000 means only those with a pay bill exceeding £3 million have to pay the levy. Therefore companies in the recruitment industry are liable to pay the Apprenticeship Levy only if they have a pay bill of over £3 million.

Guidance on what counts towards the paybill can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-apprenticeship-levy