Many people would be surprised to learn that last year more than 50% of apprenticeship starts were by over 25s. The government is right to look to rebalance apprenticeships towards young people. However, its approach of defunding a handful of apprenticeships pursued by a high proportion of over 25s has been too blunt. Defunding these apprenticeships will have an immediate impact on many workers looking to retrain, reduce opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds and risk inadvertently harming the prospects of young people looking to enter the labour market. It is deeply regrettable that DWP only sought evidence from Skills England and employers after making its defunding decisions. (Conclusion, Paragraph 105)