Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

Having listened to the debate, I think that this is a question of equity, as the noble Baroness, Lady Perry, said. The noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, has raised an important point. If young people are required to stay on at school—it may be part work and part study but, nevertheless, they are not going to have much money to see to their basic needs—it is absolutely right and proper that this should be looked at. One recognises that this is not a good economic stage and that it may have to be looked at in that capacity, but it is to be hoped that, when and if we recover from the situation we are in, it will be taken more seriously.