Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

I hope that I can amplify as requested. I know I hardly need make the point that prisoners are among the most disengaged and disadvantaged learners in the country. It is clear from exchanges yesterday and earlier this week on the education of young offenders that the Committee is well aware of the importance of the offender learning agenda. I know, therefore, that there is broad support for the Government’s position that addressing learning needs in order to develop the skills prisoners need to get and retain employment on release is very important. The offender learning agenda remains a key component of the Government’s reducing reoffending strategy. The Bill places a duty on the chief executive of Skills Funding to consider the needs of prisoners as an integral part of his or her role. This is the first time that a piece of education legislation has set out the duties for the mainstream education delivery services—the local education authorities for those held in youth detention accommodation and the chief executive of Skills Funding for those in adult detention—in meeting the learning needs of offenders since that responsibility passed from the Home Office to the predecessor of our two departments in 2001. This is an important though brief clause that reinforces the critical importance of the Skills Funding Agency in maintaining a focus on the skills agenda for adult learners in prison and continuing to deliver the improved service to which the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, referred yesterday. Clause 113 agreed. Clauses 114 to 116 agreed. Clause 117 : Other directions relating to functions of the office Debate on whether Clause 117 should stand part of the Bill.