Written questions by White.

Whether her Department has set a minimum quality threshold under the apprenticeship accountability framework for training providers to continue offering new starts on a standard in the apprenticeship programme in England for the academic year 2025-26; and when she plans to communicate information about the required threshold to providers.

The Apprenticeship Accountability Framework (AAF) is the department’s main tool for improving apprenticeship quality. The AAF evaluates Qualification Achievement Rates alongside nine other quality indicators, such as Ofsted outcomes, withdrawal rates and feedback from apprentices and employers, using updated data throughout the year.The AAF sets minimum thresholds for each quality indicator, reflecting the department's baseline expectations for apprenticeship quality. If a provider's performance falls below these thresholds, it triggers a management conversation between the department and the provider, rather than an automatic cessation of starts on a standard.The quality indicators and their minimum thresholds are detailed in the Apprenticeship Accountability Framework and Specification, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework-and-specification--2#accountability-policy-for-apprenticeship-training-providers. The department will continually review these indicators and thresholds, using the latest available data from the current and previous academic years, while considering sector consultation and feedback to ensure they are appropriately set.Any changes to the AAF, including updates to quality indicators and their minimum thresholds, will be communicated to the sector.

Whether any (a) devolved and (b) delegated responsibility agreements with devolved authorities prohibit them from setting up individual learning accounts within the Adults Skills Fund.

The government has devolved approximately 60% of the Adult Skills Fund to the nine Mayoral Strategic Authorities of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North East, South Yorkshire, Tees Valley, West Midlands, West of England, and West Yorkshire, and delegated to the Greater London Authority.Devolved authorities are responsible for ensuring learners have access to the training they require to progress in life. It is therefore at the discretion of devolved authorities on what training or funding their learners have access to.

What progress she has made on introducing tooth brushing lessons in primary schools.

The department is working with the Department of Health and Social Care to help promote and deliver supervised toothbrushing programmes for 3 to 5-year-olds in the most deprived communities.The department recognises that prevention is better than cure. For this reason, we will be targeting the areas of highest need to have the greatest impact on young children’s oral health.Further information on the implementation timetable will be confirmed in due course.Currently all state-funded schools in England are required to teach about good oral hygiene as part of the statutory health education set out within relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance. Independent schools are required to cover health education as part of their responsibility to provide personal, social, health and economic education.

How many employers who (a) pay and (b) do not pay the apprenticeship levy started new learners on apprenticeship programmes in the 2023-24 financial year.

The below table shows the number of apprenticeship service employers accounts with apprenticeship starts in the 2023/24 academic year.Employer Type2023/24Levy13,157Non-levy57,017Total70,174 The figures are for the number of employer accounts instead of em...

What steps her Department is taking to ensure all schools teach financial literacy.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Basstettlaw to the answer of 14 October 2024 to question 7255.

What the total underspends for the non-devolved adult education budget were in England in each year since 2018-19.

The budget and the actual spending of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) element of the Adult Education Budget from 2018/19 to 2023/24 financial year is set out in the table below. Funding to providers is allocated on an academic year and unde...

What steps her Department is taking to identify children who are educated outside school.

The department is committed to giving every child the best start in life, regardless of where and how they are educated. We cannot ignore the rising numbers of home-educated children and official data which shows that growing numbers of children have been...

What her planned timetable is for issuing contracts to the providers who have been selected to deliver the pilot teacher degree apprenticeships.

In early 2024, the department invited applications from initial teacher training (ITT) providers and degree-awarding institutions to participate in the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (TDA) funding pilot in secondary mathematics. The department assessed all bids and selected eight providers to offer the pilot in March 2024. As part of the pilot, providers received a course development grant. The grant offer letters were agreed between April and July 2024. Schools that employ trainees on their mathematics TDA courses as part of the funding pilot will receive additional grant funding to support with trainee salary costs. These grants have not yet been paid and will be distributed once candidates have been recruited to courses. The department continues to work closely with pilot providers to monitor and support course development, candidate recruitment and delivery. The pilot will allow the department to gauge the impact of salary grant funding on recruitment to the TDA. TDA courses are expected to be published from autumn 2024, with the first cohort of training commencing in autumn 2025.