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Apprenticeships: people over 16 Published: 18 April 2023 Emailed: 19 April 2023
A question was raised in parliament to Gillian Keegan, the Secretary of state for education, regarding apprenticeships for people aged over 16. However reform to the apprenticeship levy seems tentative. The question debated was: ‘‘What steps her Department is taking to encourage people over the age of 16 to take up apprenticeships.’’ Gillian Keegan , Conservative MP for Chichester , answered :
‘‘… we are working with UCAS so that people can search and apply for apprenticeships alongside degrees, creating a one-stop shop for young people.
Priti Patel , Conservative MP for Witham, stated :
‘‘ … will she look at how to make the apprenticeship levy much more agile and flexible so that more school leavers participate in the scheme ...’’
Gillian Keegan answered :
‘‘ More than 99% of the apprenticeships budget was spent last year, which is a fantastic demonstration of the value that apprentices bring to businesses. We will continue to ringfence the levy to support that demand. Essex Chambers of Commerce are working with employers to develop a local skills improvement plan. We look forward to working more with them and local employers on their needs. ’’ Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield, questioned: ‘‘ A longside starts having fallen by a third, the Government’s own data shows that 47% of apprentices do not complete their apprenticeships. Will the Secretary of State join me, the Labour party and the right hon. Member for Witham in supporting the wide range of businesses and employers that support Labour’s plans for reform of the apprenticeship levy?’’ Gillian Keegan answered :
‘‘We are already spending 99.6% of the levy, so Labour’s policy would mean that we would have to take some apprentices away from SMEs to be able to create that levy.’’
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Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) rate update Published: 19 April 2023 Emailed: 19 April 2023
The UK inflation rate has dropped to 10.1%, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
CPI is the rate at which the prices of goods and services bought by households rise or fall. It is estimated by using price indices. The ONS keeps track of prices, in a ‘’shopping basket’’ of around 700 popular goods and services bought by households. This is reviewed every year, so that the index is representative and to up to date. The CPI rose by 10.1% in the 12 months to March 2023, down from 10.4% in February 2023. On a monthly basis, CPI rose by 0.8% in March 2023, compared with a rise of 1.1% in March 2022. According to data released by the ONS today, the smaller than expected inflation dip came from motor fuels, household services, restaurants and hotels. However, food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco prices continue to rise.
How will interest rates change in the future? Keep an eye out for our update on the upcoming Bank of England bank rates, set to be released on 11 May.
cipp.org.uk
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