Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help expand the pipeline of qualified floor layers to deliver (a) public housing, (b) hospitals, (c) schools and (d) other infrastructure projects.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government is investing £625 million in construction skills over this Parliament. This includes Foundation Apprenticeships, expanded Skills Bootcamps, and the launch of Construction Technical Excellence Colleges. These measures aim to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled workers and support employers to invest in training.
The industry-led Construction Skills Mission Board is working to create construction job opportunities to meet the government's announced 159 infrastructure and built environment (1.5 million homes and retrofitting 5 million existing homes) commitments.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Creative Industries Sector Vision (a) supports and (b) expands (i) existing skills training schemes and (ii) new training programmes.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Our Creative Industries Sector Plan, published in June 2025, sets out our approach to developing a high quality, responsive, inclusive and targeted education, skills and training offer, meeting the workforce requirements of the creative industries.
This includes refining and developing the growth and skills offer to deliver apprenticeships and skills training that recognise the particular needs of the sector, supporting existing schemes like flexi-job apprenticeships, and introducing new flexibilities such as short courses. The Government introduced new creative Higher Technical Qualifications in September, and will continue to expand the quantity of creative training pathways more broadly, including through further regional creative skills bootcamps.
Access to a high-quality arts education supports the pipeline into the creative industries and cultural sectors. Under this government, access will not be the preserve of the privileged few, but the entitlement of every child. The Curriculum and Assessment Review and the government's response has been published. We are committing to revitalising arts education, putting it back at the heart of a rich and broad curriculum through high-quality support for teachers of creative subjects and the new National Centre for Arts and Music Education.
The National Centre for Arts and Music Education will launch in September 2026, improving access and opportunity for children and young people and strengthening collaboration between schools and industry. It will promote high quality arts education, provide continuous professional development to teachers, and boost partnerships between schools and creative organisations.
We are also supporting music and dance through Arts Council England which provides £450,000 per annum to the National Youth Dance Company, which offers high-quality training and performance opportunities; and £420,000 per annum to the National Youth Music Organisations who help develop talented young musicians across all kinds of music styles.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to ensure that music and dance education remains central to the creative industries.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Our Creative Industries Sector Plan, published in June 2025, sets out our approach to developing a high quality, responsive, inclusive and targeted education, skills and training offer, meeting the workforce requirements of the creative industries.
This includes refining and developing the growth and skills offer to deliver apprenticeships and skills training that recognise the particular needs of the sector, supporting existing schemes like flexi-job apprenticeships, and introducing new flexibilities such as short courses. The Government introduced new creative Higher Technical Qualifications in September, and will continue to expand the quantity of creative training pathways more broadly, including through further regional creative skills bootcamps.
Access to a high-quality arts education supports the pipeline into the creative industries and cultural sectors. Under this government, access will not be the preserve of the privileged few, but the entitlement of every child. The Curriculum and Assessment Review and the government's response has been published. We are committing to revitalising arts education, putting it back at the heart of a rich and broad curriculum through high-quality support for teachers of creative subjects and the new National Centre for Arts and Music Education.
The National Centre for Arts and Music Education will launch in September 2026, improving access and opportunity for children and young people and strengthening collaboration between schools and industry. It will promote high quality arts education, provide continuous professional development to teachers, and boost partnerships between schools and creative organisations.
We are also supporting music and dance through Arts Council England which provides £450,000 per annum to the National Youth Dance Company, which offers high-quality training and performance opportunities; and £420,000 per annum to the National Youth Music Organisations who help develop talented young musicians across all kinds of music styles.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 83834, with reference to his Department’s decision to withdraw funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from January 2026, what evidence from Skills England informed the conclusion that there would be no significant or unavoidable fall in the supply of these skills; whether that evidence will be published.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government's decision on defunding Level 7 apprenticeships, except for young apprentices under the age of 22, and those under 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan, including a summary of the evidence that informed that decision, is published here: Written Statements - Hansard - UK Parliament.
This includes Skills England’s engagement with over 700 stakeholders including representatives from various sectors, employer representative bodies, and young people.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the minimum (a) English and (b) maths requirements are to complete (i) apprenticeships and (ii) vocational courses; and whether he plans to review those requirements.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since February 2025, adults aged 19 and over no longer need to achieve a standalone English and maths qualification on top of their apprenticeship, where their employer agrees that this is not an essential part of their training. Young apprentices who are aged 16-18 at the start of their apprenticeship will continue to be required to achieve English and maths qualifications to put them in the best position to progress in their life and careers.
Upskilling in English and maths will continue to remain a key feature of all apprenticeships. All apprentices will continue to be required to secure and be assessed on the job-specific English and maths skills they need as part of the apprenticeship standard.
Regarding wider vocational courses, any student on a 16 to 19 study programme or T Level, who has not yet achieved an English and/or maths GCSE grade 4 or higher, must continue to be taught these subjects. However, the award of a qualification for these vocational courses is not contingent on their achievement of a grade 4.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 83834, what discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on the potential impact on NHS workforce (a) recruitment and (b) retention; and how many (i) current and (ii) planned Level 7 nursing apprenticeships are expected to be affected by the withdrawal of funding.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department continues to work closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), to support apprenticeships and skills provision. The DHSC has confirmed that it will fund the ongoing provision of level 7 apprenticeships in five professions including Specialist community public health nurse, District nurse and Advanced clinical practitioner.
The department continues to fund level 7 apprenticeships for young people under the age of 22, and those under 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan.
The government completed an equality impact assessment ahead of making its decision on the changes to level 7 apprenticeship funding.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 83834, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) short and (b) medium term impact of this policy on the number of nurses in training between 2026 and 2030; whether an equality impact assessment has been undertaken.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department continues to work closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), to support apprenticeships and skills provision. The DHSC has confirmed that it will fund the ongoing provision of level 7 apprenticeships in five professions including Specialist community public health nurse, District nurse and Advanced clinical practitioner.
The department continues to fund level 7 apprenticeships for young people under the age of 22, and those under 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan.
The government completed an equality impact assessment ahead of making its decision on the changes to level 7 apprenticeship funding.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department is having with relevant stakeholders on supporting small and medium sized businesses to provide apprenticeship schemes in Poole constituency.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) which comprises 2,500 employers and apprentices who volunteer to promote the benefits of apprenticeships. It operates across England through nine regional networks. These networks provide buddying and mentoring support to small and medium sized businesses to help them recruit and train apprentices, often for the first time. The South-East AAN network is actively engaging small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the region including in Poole.
In addition, through Skills England, the government is simplifying the skills system and strengthening support for SMEs. Skills England provides the single, authoritative view of skills needs, working with employers, training providers and local leaders to ensure training reflects real labour-market demand. Skills England’s regions teams work with Employer Representative Bodies through Local Skills Improvement Plans. In Poole, this is led by the Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry, covering Bournemouth, Christchurch and the wider Dorset area.
To ensure its work is shaped by real business experience, Skills England maintains regular dialogue with the B5 group of major employer organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses. It also has a dedicated SME sponsor on its board and an executive team actively engaging SMEs across the country, ensuring smaller firms have a strong voice in shaping the skills system.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support the recruitment of teachers that have a background in industry to enhance (a) vocational and (b) technical education in (i) Hexham constituency, (ii) Northumberland, (iii) Newcastle, (iv) the North East, and (v) England.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to strengthening the pipeline of industry expertise into teaching across the country, particularly in the further education (FE) sector.
The 'Teach in Further Education' marketing campaign and online platform provides support to those interested in teaching, with a focus on industry professionals changing career. The ‘Taking Teaching Further’ programme offers early career support and training to those industry professionals entering teaching with the relevant knowledge and experience. To boost retention of early career FE teachers in priority technical and vocational subjects, we offer retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax. In the 2024/25 academic year, almost 6,000 FE teachers received these payments. As announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, we are investing £20 million to support partnerships between construction employers and FE providers, and promote industry expertise in the classroom.
In schools, we offer several pathways into teaching, including postgraduate salaried courses like apprenticeships, which can support industry career-changers into teaching. Similar targeted retention incentives are also available.
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help ensure that post-16 education provides the necessary skills to support the economy.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department published its Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper on 20 October 2025, which sets out a comprehensive strategy to build a world-leading skills system to break down barriers to opportunity, meet student and employers’ needs, widen access to high quality education and training support innovation, research and development, and improve people’s lives.
Central to the department’s reforms will be Skills England providing an authoritative voice on the country’s current and future skills needs. Its work will inform policy and funding decisions, supporting employers in closing skills gaps.
The department is investing over £1 billion in skills packages in key areas identified in the Industrial Strategy. We are also transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer. In August, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors, as well as shorter duration apprenticeships, and will introduce short, flexible training courses to meet business needs from April 2026.