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Written question asked by Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 29 January 2026. It was answered by Andrew Western (Labour) on Wednesday, 4 February 2026 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Apprentices: Finance

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government has produced an impact assessment of the effects of the reforms to Level 7 apprenticeship funding.

Answer

The government completed an equality impact assessment ahead of making its decision on the changes to level 7 apprenticeship funding.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 2 June 2025, this decision was informed by a wide range of evidence, including Skills England’s analysis of official apprenticeship statistics and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

Skills England’s analysis found that level 7 apprenticeships have a higher proportion of older learners than other apprenticeships, a higher proportion of learners who already hold higher level qualifications, and a significant proportion are less likely to be deprived than those in apprenticeships at lower levels. It also suggested there was unlikely to be a significant or unavoidable fall in the supply of these skills in the long term, post-defunding.

The government's decision on defunding Level 7 apprenticeships for those aged 22 and over, including the full summary of the evidence that informed that decision, is published here: Written Statements - Hansard - UK Parliament

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
108881
Session
2024-26
Related items
Apprenticeships and Skills Training
Monday, 2 June 2025
Written statements
House of Commons
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Apprentices Finance Impact assessments
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk