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Employment, Universities and Skills and Housing

The hon. and learned Gentleman raises an important point. The Public Accounts Committee reported on the issue recently, but with respect, it did not say that things were getting no better; it recognised the £151 million of investment in offender learning and some significant achievements. However, there is no doubt that there are further improvements still to be made, particularly when it comes to ensuring continuity of training for prisoners who move around within the prison estate. The Government deserve credit for the investment that we have made. It was a good move to shift responsibility to professional educators and away from the Prison Service. The remaining issues have been properly identified, and we need to work to tackle them. However, progress has been made on that important issue. On adult skills, we need a slimmer, more flexible, more responsive system; the new skills funding agency will provide that. Through the children, skills and learning Bill, we will legislate to create the new SFA, to deliver better help, and to deliver a system that will better build the right skills for the future. The SFA will be designed to be flexible, and highly responsive to employer needs and the changing economic demands of the country. Central to the new system will be the way in which funding will follow the choices of learners much more closely. The SFA will focus on results rather than processes, allowing colleges and providers to be more innovative and entrepreneurial. The SFA will have responsibility for funding Train to Gain and for ensuring that providers are properly accredited. It will house the new national apprenticeships service as well as the adult advancement and careers service, which will offer further support and information for employers and for people who want to get on in their lives.