Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Jenkin of Roding (Conservative). It was answered on Monday, 20 April 2009.

Education: Further Education Building Programme

Question: My Lords, is this not an example of a real confusion on the part of the Government and the Learning and Skills Council? The noble Lord mentioned a figure of £2 billion. I am told that the figure for London—for schemes held in abeyance and for which promises have been given—amounts to more than £1 billion. Why is it, in these circumstances, that the only people who ever resign are the officials in charge and nobody from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills?

Answer: My Lords, if we felt that there was ministerial blame in the circumstances, perhaps that remedy would have been considered. Do I detect a certain scepticism, my Lords? I am shocked. To treat this seriously - as we do, because of the repercussions - the deficiencies were recognised by the LSC. That is why the chief executive, Mark Haysom, resigned on 23 March. As Sir Andrew Foster pointed out, the FE capital programme is a good policy that has delivered benefits for countless students, but it has been compromised by the manner of its implementation. That is unfortunately where the problem lay. We have appointed a new chief executive, Geoffrey Russell, who is getting on with the task.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 709 c1242
Session: 2008-09
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Construction Capital investment Further education Building colleges for the future programme Capital Programme in Further Education Review
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk