Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

My Lords, this is a probing amendment. As it stands, the clause lays a duty on the chief executive, ""to secure that apprenticeship places are available in sufficient number and variety for there to be suitable apprenticeship places available for all persons—""(a) who have elected under section 90 for the apprenticeship scheme, and""(b) for whom places have not already been made available under the scheme"." This seems to be a severe duty. How long is a piece of string? The more successful the apprenticeship schemes are, the greater the number of people who will apply. If, as we have been told, this is a demand-led affair, there must be a question as to whether the chief executive is being given a realistic duty to make, ""places available for all persons"." In the eyes of Parliament, the duty will not be that of the chief executive but of the Secretary of State, and there is no escaping that. When accountability is asked for, while certainly a Select Committee might wish to see the chief executive, Parliament will ask questions about the annual report, to which the Minister has referred, of the Secretary of State. My amendment seeks to modify the duty so that it maximises, ""the number of apprenticeship places available for as many persons as possible"." We all agree that we wish to see many people going through apprenticeship courses and we hope that the demand for them is such that it is possible to satisfy everyone who applies. However, if we take into account the Minister’s remarks yesterday about focus and priorities and how there is not the money for everything, it may not be possible. I hesitate over whether it is right to lay a duty on the chief executive and thus on the Secretary of State that will be difficult or impossible to fulfil. In my view, that is not good legislation. What evidence does the Minister have that this duty is in truth achievable? I beg to move.