Clause 23
Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill
1:00 pm
John Hayes (Shadow Minister, Innovation, Universities and Skills; South Holland and The Deepings, Conservative)
Clause 23 allows the Secretary of State to direct the chief executive of Skills Funding to modify:
“the specification of apprenticeship standards for England...providing that the specification...as so modified, meets the requirements of section 25.”
We will be debating that issue in a few moments. It would be useful, for the record, if the Minister could give some indication of the circumstances in which the Secretary of State would give such a direction. We have emphasised in our considerations so far that ministerial involvement in such matters is best when it is minimal, because the apprenticeship frameworks and standards and the responsiveness of apprenticeships will be best defined by teachers, employers and the agencies charged with that mission. In what circumstances and why, when and how might such a direction be given?