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Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

I recognise that this is a probing amendment, but I want to pick up on what the noble Lord, Lord Elton, has said, because it is consistent with the issue that I wanted to raise. It also relates to what the noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, was saying about the need for continuity between educational programmes that are provided in custody with those that are to be provided in the community, post custody. We also have to recognise that if we are to move towards more non-custodial sentences for young people—which I very much hope we are—those sentences should incorporate education and training. I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Elton, who said that we need to reflect on whether we should specify "between 2 and 8 weeks". I also believe that a two-week programme, for many of the young people about whom we are talking, will not get them very far. The noble Lord, Lord De Mauley, mentioned that many of the young people, for example if they are 16, will not have been in any form of education since they were 13 or 14. They will not have been attending school, which will be one reason why they are in trouble. I urge the Minister, in her reply, to say what the Government intend in this area. Any programme that is about something like literacy would need to last a lot longer than two weeks to get anywhere; otherwise the young people will spend two weeks learning a little and then quickly forget it all. There must be long-term continuity in their learning experience.