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Further Education and Training Bill [HL]

My Lords, I start by echoing the thanks of the noble Baroness, Lady Morris of Bolton, to all the organisations that have briefed us during our consideration of the Bill. We on these Benches have moved somewhat from our original position because we have listened to the well informed briefings that we received. However, there remain to the last minute a number of concerns. From the start, we have supported the noble Lord, Lord Dearing, in his efforts on the various things that he just outlined. I also echo his welcome for the ways in which the Government have moved on the issue of franchising and the various safeguards that have been put in place. We are very pleased to see those in the revised version of the draft criteria for foundation degree-awarding powers that we recently received. However, we share the concerns of the noble Lord, Lord Dearing, about progression. I notice that paragraph 35 of the revised draft criteria about flexibility states: ““These requirements may include””—I emphasise ““may include””— "““flexible progression routes, including links with other professional awards and with at least one identified honours degree programme””." Like the noble Lord, Lord Dearing, we would prefer to see a requirement in the Bill. I notice that at the end of the first section of the draft criteria, the Minister says: "““The Government is reflecting further on whether a requirement for FE institutions that gain the power to award foundation degrees to put arrangements in place for students to progress to full Honours degrees should be included in primary legislation””." We on these Benches still feel that at least one progression arrangement should be included in the Bill, and we hope that the Minister will be able to assure us today as to what the Government intend to do about it. Like the noble Lord, Lord Dearing, we believe that it is not only important that at least one progression path should be available, but that it is desirable for a whole lot of partnerships to be in place. However, the fact that there is at least one university prepared to accept the foundation degree delivered in this college as an appropriate foundation to move on, after another 1.3 years of study, to that university’s honours degree is a valuable endorsement from that university about the quality of the foundation degree in question. That is an important aspect of this whole issue and it is part of the reason why we would prefer to see it included in the Bill.