Shrewsbury College has an outstanding reputation for providing high-quality apprenticeship programmes, yet it was unsuccessful in the latest non-levy apprenticeship tender process, which will put the college and students at a disadvantage. It caters for a huge geographical catchment area, and Ministers and officials need to think again about this.

Shrewsbury College has an outstanding reputation for providing high-quality apprenticeship programmes, yet it was unsuccessful in the latest non-levy apprenticeship tender process, which will put the college and students at a disadvantage. It caters for a huge geographical catchment area, and Ministers and officials need to think again about this.

This is not a situation we wanted to be in, but we are obliged to undertake these procurement exercises. There were 1,046 bids, for £1.1 billion. Some 700 of those

bids were successful and got a total of some £490 million. We have put in transitional arrangements for existing providers that were unsuccessful, giving employers and apprentices stability. As I pointed out to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Jeremy Lefroy) earlier, those providers can still access apprenticeship funding by delivering training directly to levy payers, to non-levy payers through subcontracting and to employers receiving transfers from April.

This is not a situation we wanted to be in, but we are obliged to undertake these procurement exercises. There were 1,046 bids, for £1.1 billion. Some 700 of those

bids were successful and got a total of some £490 million. We have put in transitional arrangements for existing providers that were unsuccessful, giving employers and apprentices stability. As I pointed out to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Jeremy Lefroy) earlier, those providers can still access apprenticeship funding by delivering training directly to levy payers, to non-levy payers through subcontracting and to employers receiving transfers from April.

This is a subject that I feel passionately about. The college is a major centre for learning in my constituency, and during the next 15 minutes I have a tremendous opportunity to share some of our experiences of co-location with the Minister and to ask for clarification on certain elements...

This is a subject that I feel passionately about. The college is a major centre for learning in my constituency, and during the next 15 minutes I have a tremendous opportunity to share some of our experiences of co-location with the Minister and to ask for clarification on certain elements...

I am following keenly what the Minister is saying about the environment, but it would be bad for the environment to co-locate colleges outside the town centre, where they would not be close to the railway station. We will have to provide many new buses to transport students from the...

I am following keenly what the Minister is saying about the environment, but it would be bad for the environment to co-locate colleges outside the town centre, where they would not be close to the railway station. We will have to provide many new buses to transport students from the...

I thank the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) for raising this issue and for the close interest that he of course takes in the future of Shrewsbury sixth form college. As he indicated, he has raised the issue on a number of occasions, and has met my...

I thank the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) for raising this issue and for the close interest that he of course takes in the future of Shrewsbury sixth form college. As he indicated, he has raised the issue on a number of occasions, and has met my...

I was about to come to that point. The Government's capital investment programme is providing Shrewsbury sixth form college with the opportunity to redevelop its estate to ensure that learners have the best possible facilities in which to learn. The educational and business cases for co-location are strong. Sharing facilities...

I was about to come to that point. The Government's capital investment programme is providing Shrewsbury sixth form college with the opportunity to redevelop its estate to ensure that learners have the best possible facilities in which to learn. The educational and business cases for co-location are strong. Sharing facilities...

Westminster Hall adjournment debate on Shrewsbury sixth form college.

Westminster Hall adjournment debate on Shrewsbury sixth form college.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) if he will respond to the concerns of teachers of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College on proposals to relocate their college to another part of Shrewsbury;

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) if he will respond to the concerns of teachers of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College on proposals to relocate their college to another part of Shrewsbury;

(2) if he will meet the hon. Member for Shrewsbury to discuss the proposals to co-locate Shrewsbury Sixth Form College with Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology College.

(2) if he will meet the hon. Member for Shrewsbury to discuss the proposals to co-locate Shrewsbury Sixth Form College with Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology College.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will provide funding to allow the Skills for Life section of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College to remain open beyond the 2005–06 academic year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will provide funding to allow the Skills for Life section of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College to remain open beyond the 2005–06 academic year.

Letter dated 05/04/2006 from Mark Haysom, Chief Executive, to Daniel Kawczynski MP regarding funding for the Skills for Life section of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College. Inc. table. 3 p.

Letter dated 05/04/2006 from Mark Haysom, Chief Executive, to Daniel Kawczynski MP regarding funding for the Skills for Life section of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College. Inc. table. 3 p.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students at (a) Shrewsbury Sixth Form College and (b) Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology paid tuition fees in each year since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many students at (a) Shrewsbury Sixth Form College and (b) Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology paid tuition fees in each year since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list for each year since 1992 the average funding per student, for each sixth form college in Shrewsbury and Atcham; and if he will make a statement. - Inc table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will list for each year since 1992 the average funding per student, for each sixth form college in Shrewsbury and Atcham; and if he will make a statement. - Inc table.