Technical and Further Education Bill

I believe that we are. Not only have we seen investment in more effective mathematics teaching—th...

Do the Government still want young people who do not achieve a C or above in maths and English to...

We have been clear that we do not want children to be left behind by not getting a GCSE in maths ...

rose—

I will make a little more progress. I will definitely let the hon. Gentleman intervene but, as he...

I think that everyone applauds the direction of travel for technical education. In response to th...

What we are saying is that we want an education system, particularly at the primary and secondary...

The Secretary of State is being generous with her time. There is still quite a lot of confusion a...

Of course, a level 4 broadly equates to a C grade. We will make sure that the resit policy aligns...

Is collaboration between local institutions part of the process? Will my right hon. Friend commen...

That work shows that colleges acting collectively can provide not only a higher-quality offer, bu...

I accept that the Secretary of State is determined to ensure that enough students and other young...

We do want to ensure that students complete their apprenticeships. As the hon. Gentleman will kno...

rose—

I will give way once more.

I thank the Secretary of State for her generosity. I welcome the fact that further education fund...

I do not accept the picture that the hon. Lady presents. In the long term, our technical educatio...

What steps are being taken to address the continuing gender imbalance in our apprenticeships?

My hon. Friend raises an important point. We want to make sure that young girls get exactly the s...

rose—

I would like to make a little more progress. I recognise the hon. Gentleman’s long-standing inter...

The right hon. Lady may well know that those of us who have worked in factories and in similar jo...

As the hon. Gentleman knows, the Government have talked significantly about our plans to make sur...

I start by associating myself with the well-wishes for the hon. Member for Grantham and Stamford ...

Does my hon. Friend share my bemusement at the Secretary of State standing before the House this ...

I absolutely agree that this Government have done nothing to provide technical skills. Colleges h...

The hon. Lady is listing a litany of failures, but would she like to take this opportunity to wel...

I will come on to that, because although I welcome some of the Government’s proposals on the Inst...

rose—

I will make progress and let the hon. Gentleman in again later. Even then, the Government did not...

Is my hon. Friend also aware that the Minister for School Standards, having said at the Dispatch ...

I will be interested to see what the Secretary of State has to say about that. I find it absolute...

Shocking.

Absolutely shocking. We have seen the Skills Funding Agency lose nearly half of its staff since 2...

The hon. Lady could at least welcome the apprenticeship levy, which her party considered so radic...

It is always a pleasure to take an intervention from the hon. Gentleman. I will come on to that p...

It is a pleasure to contribute to this debate. I very much welcome the Bill and pay tribute to th...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that as well as talking to young people about the time at which the...

I thank the hon. Lady for making that important point. When we talk to the heads of UTCs, they sa...

It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for North Swindon (Justin Tomlinson).

I do...

My hon. Friend mentioned Brexit. Since the referendum, the pound has depreciated to a much more s...

I knew I would not get away with my Brexit comment with my hon. Friend sitting there. Yes, we nee...

rose—

But we are not going to go down that road too quickly.

I welcome large parts of the Bill. I...

It is a pleasure to speak in this debate. I am going to talk about the local experience of furthe...

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Dover (Charlie Elphicke). It is a rare treat for u...

My hon. Friend mentioned joint pathways being undertaken by the same further education institutio...

I thank my hon. Friend for that excellent intervention. It sounds like just the sort of instituti...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful case. We need to think about technical education not just for...

My hon. Friend makes a great point, although I do not want to get into the relative ages of Membe...

For too long, technical and vocational education has been seen as the poor relation to academic e...

It is a great privilege to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol South (Karin Smyth), who ...

It is a pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Nic Dakin), who shared with ...

My hon. Friend is making a strong point. Some years ago, funding for adult education at sixth-for...

My hon. Friend makes a good point.

This door being slammed shut, often in the faces of youn...

It is a great pleasure to speak in the debate and to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Hove (P...

Does my hon. Friend agree that part of the problem with mathematics is down to English culture? I...

I agree with my hon. Friend, but it is changing and I am optimistic about that. People such as me...

Does my hon. Friend recall the reorganisation of Government Departments in about 2007—sadly under...

There is another story, which may not be true, about what happened when incorporation was introdu...

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point about people’s understanding or experience of the FE ...

I thank the hon. gentleman for his intervention, but I think the majority of Members, probably on...

I agree with my hon. Friend about this. I went to an FE college to do my A-levels, but what he is...

I agree with my hon. Friend about that, and of course another cultural factor is the fact that we...

My hon. Friend is making some good points. I did an A-level in not just maths, but further maths....

Good for you!

I did not do very well in the further maths.

Order. The House is going to defend the hon. Lady. We have heard hon. Gentlemen say that this is ...

I find myself feeling how I did during my A-levels, when I was the only girl in the class doing s...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about that. One of the most interesting things about Britain i...

The hon. Gentleman mentions teaching, and I have been waiting patiently for him to refer to his o...

Indeed. In my day, it was certainly an excellent college and we did our very best.

I keep d...

I must declare that I, too, am a comprehensive-educated special adviser from a long time ago, whi...

There is nobody behind him, though!

Let us move on—[Interruption.]

Order. We cannot have sedentary remarks and remarks from behind the Chair. That is simply impossi...

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.

I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker. I want to put it on the record that it was I who was speaking ...

May I make a quick point? As the debate has highlighted today, it is quality, not quantity, that ...

Indeed.

The Bill is timely. After strenuous efforts to stabilise the economy following the ...

The hon. Gentleman is right to focus on our poor productivity level, but poor productivity often ...

The Government have already put in place improvements to the national living wage and will do mor...

The hon. Gentleman is extolling the party for the workers, so does he agree that workers and work...

The hon. Gentleman makes an interesting point. The Prime Minister has already talked about how we...

I thank everyone who has spoken today. We have had a thoughtful, productive and constructive deba...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I am afraid that I will not because I am short of time. [Interruption.] I am sorry, but it was in...

I welcome the thoughtful contributions to the debate from Members on both sides of the House.

rose—

I ask the hon. Gentleman to hold on one second, because he said that he wanted resources for math...

rose—

I will not give way because of the shortage of time.

A number of hon. Members mentioned the...

Will the Minister give way?

I am sorry, but we have very little time.

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Order Paper I have says that this debate can conti...

No, indeed. The hon. Gentleman is technically absolutely correct that the debate can continue unt...

Wahey!

Mr Hunt is excited at the prospect of another three hours from the Minister, but it is incumbent ...

The hon. Gentleman and other Opposition Members talked about quality, not quantity. They should p...

Will the Minister give way for a brief intervention?

I am very sorry, but I cannot because of time, even to my hon. Friend. I apologise.

Let me ...