HC Deb 17 June 2002 vol 387 cc15-6W
Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many modern apprenticeships were(a) commenced and (b) completed in each year since the scheme's inauguration; what percentage of modern apprenticeships are not completed; and what the annual cost has been of the modern apprenticeship scheme. [60773]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

(a) Information on starts and qualification success rates is published in a statistical first release (SFR 032002 'TEC/LSC Delivered Government Supported Work-Based Learning—England: Volumes and Outcomes'), which is available in the Library of the House.

Modern apprenticeships
Qualification success rates of leavers
Financial year MA starts (000s) Percentage who achieve level 2 or above on FMA Percentage who achieve level 3 or above on AMA
1995–96 25.8 — 9
1996–97 70.3 — 22
1997–98 84.2 — 27
1998–99 119.1 — 36
1999–2000 170.7 36 48
2000–01 188.3 45 49

Source:

SFR 03/2002, tables 1 and 3.

(b) Information on completion of modern apprenticeship frameworks is not available.

Accurate figures for annual expenditure on MAs are not available but the total MA spend since 1997 is estimated to have been well in excess of £1 billion.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many traditional apprenticeships were(a) commenced and (b) completed in each of the last three years that they were running. [60774]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

Data on traditional apprenticeships commenced and completed are not available. We do have estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) on the number of recognised trade apprentices at any one time and these are given in the table for the each of the last three years.

Number (Thousand)
Year All Male Female
1999 207 172 35
2000 223 183 39
2001 202 169 32

Source:

Labour Force Survey, 1999–2001, United Kingdom

Mr. Boswell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the financing of modern apprenticeships with particular reference to differences of treatment relating to age. [61340]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. I have therefore asked John Harwood, the council's chief executive, to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the Library.