To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department plans to take to ensure the delivery of the Government's Skills Agenda. (279013)

This Department will continue to ensure the delivery of the Government Skills agenda. In support of these measures:

we are this year spending an unprecedented £5 billion on adult skills, including £925 million on Train to Gain;

we are spending over £1 billion on apprenticeships, bringing Government funding for apprenticeships to its highest ever level;

we are providing targeted help for those who have lost their jobs or are facing redundancy; and

we are investing a further £1 billion per year until 2010-11 in Skills for Life.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK's skills base. (279023)

This Department will continue to ensure the successful delivery of the Government Skills agenda.

Train to Gain has helped nearly one million learners and thousands of businesses. Starts in 2007-08 totalled 331,800—an increase of 60.8 per cent. on 2006-07.

Apprenticeship starts have increased from 65,000 in 1996-97 to 224,800 for 2007-09. This represents the largest ever number of people starting an Apprenticeship.

Over 5.7 million adults have engaged with the Skills for Life programme. 12 million Skills for Life opportunities have been taken up, with over 2.8 million adults gaining a first qualification. We have met the 2010 target of 2.25 million achievements in skills for life two years early.