Nia Griffith MP has been demanding clarity from the UK Government on how the UK Government’s Apprenticeship Levy will work.
Nia explained; “ Firms operating in Wales will have to pay the UK Government’s Apprenticeship Levy, which will go into the UK Treasury. It is vital that we see that money come back to Wales to provide apprenticeships here. I know that employers in Wales, Welsh colleges which run apprenticeship courses and Ministers in Welsh Government are all concerned that the UK Government has been so slow in working out the detail of how this will work. That’s why I have raised the matter during the Parliamentary question slot for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, and will continue to follow the matter up with the UK Government, to make sure that we get action and not just warm words. We want to make sure that no-one in Wales loses out as a result of these changes. This is what I said,
“ Wales also offers opportunities for apprenticeships, but employers and colleges in Wales are very concerned about how the apprenticeship levy will work. What recent discussions has the Minister had with Julie James AM, the Welsh Government Minister responsible for apprenticeships, and when does he expect the scheme details to be finalised? “
And the Government Minister Nick Boles replied as follows
“The hon. Lady asks a reasonable question. I had discussions with the Welsh Minister before the elections, which suspended matters briefly. There have been intensive contacts at official level not only between Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Welsh, Scottish and other Governments on how the levy arrangements will work from a tax-raising point of view, but with my officials on how the levy will operate. We will publish more details before the summer recess.”