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Further Education and Training Bill [HL]

The noble Lord, Lord Sutherland, has made part of my speech for me. We think the amendment is, as the Treasury put it, an uncosted, substantial extension of the duties of the Learning and Skills Council. As so often happens in these discussions, by the end of the remarks made by the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, I thought that we were almost in the same place. She quoted approvingly from the targets set in the annual statement of priorities of the Learning and Skills Council and the Secretary of State’s grant letter, which gives rise to that statement of priorities. I took her to be saying that she thought we were in broadly the right place in the priorities set for the Learning and Skills Council. We are talking, really, then about her issue on robust declaratory ambitions. Perhaps I can meet her concerns. She will know as well as me, because she took part in the deliberations on the Learning and Skills Act 2000, that that Act has robust, declaratory ambitions. Section 3 says: "““The Council must secure the provision of reasonable facilities for … education … suitable to the requirements of persons who have attained the age of 19 … training suitable to the requirements of such persons … organised leisure-time occupation connected with such education, and … organised leisure-time occupation connected with such training””." Section 4 becomes even more declaratory. It says: "““The Council must … encourage individuals to undergo post-16 education and training … encourage employers to participate in the provision of post-16 education and training … encourage employers to contribute to the costs of post-16 education and training””." A good part of the declaratory ambition that the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, said that she wished to see is there in respect of education and training. So there is no lack of declaratory ambition; it is in the Learning and Skills Act 2000, and those provisions remain in force as amended by the Bill. The wide-ranging amendment would go beyond that remit and impose new declaratory ambitions, including the very wide-ranging one referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Sutherland, to, "““promote the well-being of all persons resident in the area of the regional learning and skills council””," which we do not believe to be an appropriate statutory duty to place on a learning and skills commissioning and funding body. Furthermore, this aspect would cut across the existing role of local authorities, which already have a power to promote the well-being of all persons in their area, including social, environmental and economic well-being. We agree with the objective of quality set out by the noble Baroness. Through this Bill, the LSC will have the powers that it needs to intervene where providers cannot demonstrate that shortcomings are being addressed promptly and effectively. In addition, the Quality Improvement Agency will work with providers, including those performing poorly, to raise their standards and increase their capacity and capability. Its national improvement strategy, which will be published shortly, will offer a wide range of products and services to promote high standards, including the support of improvement advisers for institutions that are subject to intervention by the Learning and Skills Council. We have strong arrangements in place for achieving fair access to learning, which is also in the amendment, particularly through access to learner support funds. For example, education maintenance allowances (EMAs), which are a significant new programme costing £407 million a year, are a big promoter of access to learning. The take-up of EMAs continues to rise, with payments made to more than 450,000 young people so far this academic year. As the noble Baroness knows, EMAs did not even exist until this Government established them. That £407 million is additional expenditure. This is a vital part of ensuring that young people from all socio-economic groups have an equal opportunity to access learning. Through the Learning and Skills Council, we are also continuing to support vulnerable adults on income-related benefits, who will continue to receive fee remission. A good part of the amendment is already met either in the existing declaratory duties imposed by the Learning and Skills Act 2000 or by the statement of priorities that animate the work of the council. I regret that we do not feel able to extend to the council a duty to promote the well-being of all persons resident in the area of the regional learning and skills councils.