Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

I am hurt. I did not believe that I was being antagonistic—I thought that I was being emollient. Rather than trying to write all that information into the Bill, it will be most effective in the specification and standards, and in the apprentice agreement. Those documents will define the quality of the apprenticeship framework. I attach a great deal of importance to that matter, which is about setting the standards and quality. The next document that addresses a number of concerns that have been raised by noble Lords is the agreement. We must ensure that it is not just dealt with theoretically in a framework but that the agreement between the employer and the apprentice lays down clearly the obligations on the employer in terms of workplace learning and away-from-the-job learning. Those places are the most effective to address the concerns that have been expressed here.