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Further Education and Training Bill [HL]

My noble friend Lady Turner and other noble Lords spoke eloquently about the importance of the London Skills and Employment Board and the need for its work to be put on a permanent footing. As the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, said, the first meeting of the non-statutory London Skills and Employment Board took place on 6 December. I am told that it got off to a very successful start. It represents that wide diversity of important employment and economic generators and public sector institutions in London, which need to be fully engaged in developing a skills agenda for London. It is chaired by the Mayor, Ken Livingstone, and its vice-chair is Harvey McGrath, the chair of the Man Group, one of our largest hedge fund groups. I believe that many of us never thought that we would live to see a partnership forged by Mayor Livingstone and the chairman of the Man Group. It is a symbol of the unity of purpose which is now evident across London in the need to meet skills priorities. The board’s membership is drawn from a wide variety of public and private sector institutions, including FE colleges, trade unions and the chief executive of NHS London. It brings together all those key partners. The Bill will require a future Secretary of State, as a matter of public law, to consider exercising his discretion to use the power set out in new Section 24B. However, as noble Lords will know, this Government do not allow pettifogging legalities to stand in the way of a desirable objective. Therefore, if my noble friend wishes to table her amendment again on Report, we will give it very sympathetic consideration.