Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

It is rather difficult to follow those four speeches. It has been an interesting journey through the history books and the cookery books. I agree with my noble friend Lord Eccles that in many ways we all agree with the noble Baroness, because she has given the Government a real test. I am slightly bemused, if I can add to the questions, about how the YPLA is going to satisfy itself that a local education authority is failing or is likely to fail. Clause 65 does not give us much indication of the process. I agree with the noble Baroness that, as she has quoted from the chief executive of the Association of Colleges, the whole process seems to be lengthy, complex and difficult, with an over-riding question mark over whether the YPLA is the correct body to be saying whether a local authority is failing. I wonder whether the Minister could explain how all this is supposed to work. Presumably, he is the author of all this. He may immediately seek to disown it and pass the buck to one of his ministerial colleagues; but presumably Clause 65 is all his idea. He owes it to this House to explain, first, why, but, above all, why the YPLA. I agree with my noble friends Lord Eccles, Lord Lucas and Lord Elton that it does not seem to make sense. He must have thought through how it is all going to operate. The initial amendments mean that those at the forefront of delivering the services should be able to inform the YPLA if they think that the local education authority is not up to the mark. However, I am particularly concerned about the worries expressed by the Association of Colleges. There is no doubt that colleges should have the right to appeal directly to the YPLA; but again we have the overriding question: why the YPLA?