Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government – in the Senedd at 2:16 pm on 27 April 2022.
Thank you for the answer, Minister. I would like to see apprenticeship programmes being used to fill the current gaps in local authority recruitment. Councils are struggling to fill positions such as highway officers, planners and drainage experts. These are technical positions that require training and expertise as well as a strong knowledge of the local area. However, the apprenticeship levy brought in by the Tory UK Government in 2017 is a financial barrier and has a disproportionate affect in Wales and the public sector here. Around 700 employers in Wales pay the 0.5 per cent levy, including all public sector employers, the NHS, local government and the police. Despite the additional financial burden the levy places on Welsh public sector employers, there is no noticeable additional funding available in Wales as a result of the levy. For instance, Flintshire County Council—I must declare I'm still a Flintshire councillor for a week—will incur an additional cost of £617,840 this year. What representations has the Minister made to the UK Government about the financial impact of the apprenticeship levy on the public sector here in Wales? Thank you.