Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

My Lords, I rise strongly to support my noble friend Lady Perry of Southwark and to say that I found myself very much in agreement with the noble Baronesses, Lady Sharp of Guildford and Lady Howe of Idlicote. I think that they have put their finger on something that does not quite work and that my noble friend has proposed a modest amendment that seems to make a great deal of sense. I hope that the Minister will feel able to accept it. The amendment extends the remit of the YPLA so that it has, ""to oversee financial provisions for capital building projects for further education and sixth form colleges"." My noble friend has enabled us to raise the concern that we have seen time and time again throughout these debates about where are the lines of responsibility. As I understand it, as the Bill stands, funding for schools, sixth forms, sixth-form colleges and sixth-form provision in further education colleges comes directly from local authorities. However, capital funding for the 236 further education colleges will be undertaken not by the YPLA, the body responsible for ensuring the national coherence of plans implemented by local authorities, but by the Skills Funding Agency. The noble Baroness, Lady Sharp of Guildford, gave us a concrete example of how the complexities inherent in the sort of structure that is complained of are caused by the fact that different bodies with responsibility for education are provided in just one establishment. FE colleges will span the divide between the agencies. The amendment moved by my noble friend Lady Perry would simplify this structure just by ensuring instead that capital funding is overseen by the YPLA. I read the worries of the Association of Colleges about the very division of funding and responsibility, and I hope the Minister will respond to its idea of a college capital committee that spans both types of colleges, the SFA and the YPLA. All this demonstrates the confusion created by having two agencies divided by age, where the line between the two remains blurred at some points. My noble friend’s amendment would help to solve this problem by putting all responsibility under the YPLA. We all look forward to the Minister’s response, and I very much hope that he will accept this amendment.