“The Chancellor underlined the importance of business to British prosperity in a way that has been too rare recently in our politics. He rightly put getting a Brexit deal that protects jobs and growth at the heart of his commitments for the autumn.
“The commitment to make the apprenticeship levy a more flexible offering is something the recruitment sector has been consistently campaigning for. This will benefit workers by improving training opportunities, as well as helping recruitment businesses who are currently paying the levy but are unable to spend it.
“The test of the government’s pro-business mindset is in the actions they now take. The forthcoming budget is an opportunity to match rhetoric with reality – the Chancellor must hold back from IR35 changes in the private sector that will punish compliant businesses and open the way to tax avoidance.”
In his speech at the Conservative Party Conference on Monday 1st October 2018, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said this regarding the apprenticeship levy:
“And we have heard the concerns about how the apprenticeship levy is working… so today we've set out a series of measures to allow firms more flexibility in how the levy is spent. But we know that we may need to do more to ensure that the levy supports the development of the skilled workforce our economy needs. So in addition to these new flexibilities, we will engage with business on our plans for the long term operation of the levy. Working hand-in-hand with employers to ensure that every young person can fulfil their potential and achieve their dreams.”
