Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

I hesitate, but I think that there is a more fundamental problem. All organisations need some focus. The YPLA focus is not on capital spending. As far as I can see, the Bill is completely silent on capital funding. My noble friend’s amendment seeks to find out, as well as to suggest a way forward, how the YPLA will tackle project management. Capital funding and capital spending is project management, which requires a completely different skill to that required to make provision for the education of young people. How will the Government guarantee that, in the selection of the members of the board of the YPLA, they will include this project management skill? I have been in project management for a great part of my career. As the chairman of a non-departmental public body, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, I took responsibility for the rebuilding of the Palm House. All I can say to Ministers is that if I had relied on its board and staff, and had not taken special steps to ensure that the Palm House was rebuilt to the required standard, it would never have happened. The Government are simply saying that all they will provide is a remit letter. For goodness’ sake, we all get letters telling us what we should do. But have we got the capability to do it? This Government should think much more carefully about the skills that will be required—and, goodness me, the Bill is all about skills—to devise and control capital expenditure projects. Nothing here gives me comfort that the YPLA will be any good at the job.