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Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

I want to be helpful before the noble Baroness sits down. First, on accountability and monitoring, I have said that I can reassure the Committee that the requirement in Schedule 4 for the chief executive to produce an annual report and for the Secretary of State to lay this before Parliament is intended to ensure robust monitoring and reporting. We will certainly take into account the noble Baroness’s point that the report ought to include adult education. Obviously we do not want to introduce ambiguity and we will check to ensure that there is no unintended ambiguity in Clauses 84 and 88. We have been around the track a number of times on the role of the RDAs. I have given clear and explicit assurances on the relationship with the local authority. The noble Baroness’s concern is, as always, to ensure that the voice, needs and requirements of local authorities are reflected. I would have hoped that assuring her that the local authority leader boards will be able to sign-off any integrated regional strategy would be a reasonable and sufficient guarantee and that, in the light of the assurances that I have given, she will feel able to withdraw her amendment.