Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

I am happy to clarify that for the noble Baroness. I cannot do so right this minute, but I will ensure that I do, either later this afternoon or in writing. I am being given inspiration from behind that the process involves one name coming forward. That may provide the noble Baroness with more reassurance, but I am happy to clarify the exact process to the Committee in writing if that is of any assistance. The amendment on conflict of interest would be unnecessary. The noble Lord, Lord Sutherland, talked about many helpful and interesting things, particularly the appointment of the deputy chair. Members of the Committee have been concerned about this, and I would be prepared to consider Ofqual having the power to choose its deputy chair from among its appointed members. As I have said before, when preparing the Bill we took the view on balance that the Secretary of State should appoint the deputy chair. However, there is a strength of feeling around the Committee that we need to emphasise independence further. Given the strength of feeling expressed on this, we would consider looking at it further. The noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley, talked about Crown appointments, Amendment 219 and whether all board members should be appointed by the Crown and not the Government. Again, the experience of Ofsted is reassuring here. Ofsted has a Secretary of State-appointed board and is widely seen as robustly independent, as I have said. On what is perhaps more of a point of detail, it would, as far as we have been able to establish, be unprecedented for the Crown to appoint all the ordinary members of a board on a body like this, particularly when we can point to Ofsted as an example from which we can draw experience. The responsibility for appointing the first chief executive is given to the Secretary of State simply to allow Ofqual—and this is important—to be up and running quickly. If not, we would have to wait for the members of Ofqual to be appointed before the process of appointing the first chief executive could even begin. I can provide reassurance on how the first appointment will happen in practice. Working with the chair of interim Ofqual, Kathleen Tattersall, we intend to make an interim appointment of the first chief executive. Once established, Ofqual will then take full control of recruiting its first permanent chief executive. We have in the Bill a coherent set of arrangements to ensure that Ofqual has the leadership and management it will need to meet its important objectives independently and effectively, and to enable it to be up and running as soon as possible. We take seriously the need to ensure that we have an independent, strong regulator to fulfil these important objectives. I hope that, with these reassurances, and the commitment to consider further, the noble Baroness will feel able to withdraw her amendments.