Clause 21
Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill
1:00 pm
Siôn Simon (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills; Birmingham, Erdington, Labour)
Hello again, Mrs. Humble—that could be a song, could it not?
I have listened to the hon. Gentlemen’s arguments and sympathise with that they are trying to say. The hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings quoted Richard Wainer of the CBI as though his remarks during the oral evidence session somehow contradicted Government policy or what is in the Bill. They do not. Every word the hon. Gentleman quoted is correct.
On the issue of responsiveness, we are slightly in danger of misunderstanding how the mechanisms might work. Amendment 46 would affect even the slightest change in “The Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England”, which is a big document—not big physically, but in the sense that it is very important—which is being widely consulted upon as we speak. The consultation is due to be reported back in mid-May. Under the amendment, even the slightest change would require a full-scale consultation with every stakeholder in the sector.