I support the amendment. I feel that, in all this, there is tension between what the Bill would like to see and what the Bill will be able to achieve. I keep looking for measures of enforcement, and not just because I am a native head girl or predisposed to police-type solutions. The history of apprenticeships in this country shows that they have mostly failed because of the employers. Indeed, why would it not be because of the employers? They are in charge; they are the ones with the power.
4.15 pm
I believe that the role of the state must be to intervene where there is complete inequality between two parties. Between employer and apprentice, there
can be little doubt where the power lies. I keep nagging on to see whether we can find out who has the right to complain, how to complain and what is decreed by the state to make sure that employers stick to the terms. It is all very well having perfectly designed apprenticeships, but if people do not stick to the terms, that is not a lot of use.
These sorts of things lie behind the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Hunt. This side of the Committee is trying very hard to persuade the Government to adopt these amendments, because we are all desperately keen that this apprenticeship system should work. We are very keen to get to 3 million apprenticeships, if we can. We do not think we are taking seriously enough the role of enforcement, and which organisations are doing it.