Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

My Lords, I take great pleasure in rising to support the amendments of my noble friend Lady Perry and the noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley. Groups such as Edexcel have expressed concerns that while Ofqual’s duties should relate to the regulation of the standard of examinations, it should not be Ofqual’s role to regulate the market of qualifications. This could have a detrimental impact on the sector. Can the Minister account for why it was decided that Ofqual should also take charge of the pricing of qualifications? Does he not feel that this task would be better dealt with by the market? The worry is that Ofqual’s powers to cap fees have the potential to distort the market by artificially restricting the breadth of qualifications available. Edexcel has expressed concern that by using this economic power, Ofqual has the potential to stifle innovation and to drive smaller and specialist providers out of the market. This would give more control to larger providers and encourage them to concentrate on more popular subjects. Does the Minister agree that if the market is allowed to operate freely, it will create a level playing field for all qualification providers? What is the logic behind allowing Ofqual to place a cap on some providers? It would appear natural that if qualification providers price themselves out of the market, their qualifications will not be taken up by schools and learners. It is important for learners to have a free choice of qualifications. We acknowledge the difficulties that could arise from qualification bodies that charge too much. Will the Minister inform us of the scale of the problem? Is it sufficient to be a catalyst for a fee-capping power that could alter the state of the market in a way that would damage qualification provision and providers?