Results 1-20 of 6,240 for speaker:John Hayes

Business, Innovation and Skills: Higher Education (12 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: In a written answer, the Minister confessed that only 6 per cent. of state school pupils aged 15 progressed to Russell group universities. Of those few, just one in 10 are from the bottom two socio-economic groups. It is clear that very few such students get to our longest established universities. Vitally, many from more disadvantaged backgrounds study HE in FE, but we know from an answer...

Written Answers — Business, Innovation and Skills: Train to Gain Programme (12 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the extent to which training under the Train to Gain programme has been duplicated by employers.

Bill Presented: Clause 47 — Provision of education for persons subject to youth detention (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: I would want to be associated with the Minister's remarks on behalf of the Opposition. The Bill deals with young people, but it is important that the lessons that we learn about such matters are consistently applied. How will the measures in the Bill dealing with young people be mirrored for other offenders? As the Minister knows, the analysis of how the Government are doing that I mentioned...

Bill Presented: Clause 47 — Provision of education for persons subject to youth detention (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: I was asking a slightly more technical question. In as much as the legislation establishes a set of protocols, assumptions and structures, can the Minister give us an assurance that they are consistent with legislation that deals with other areas of custody? We need to know that we are learning the lessons and that they are being applied consistently.

Bill Presented: Clause 47 — Provision of education for persons subject to youth detention (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: I am grateful that the Minister has conceded that the Bill has been improved in this area too by consideration in Committee and in the other place. Lords amendment 56 inserts a new clause, entitled "Provision of transport etc for persons of sixth form age: duty to have regard to section 15ZA duty", which says: "In section 509AB(3) of the Education Act 1996 (provision of transport etc for...

Bill Presented: Clause 47 — Provision of education for persons subject to youth detention (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: I assume that what the Minister has just said will be set out in guidance. Will he make a commitment to the House on that? The point raised by the hon. Member for Bristol, West (Stephen Williams) clearly resonates, not least with the Minister himself. Also, what assessment has the Minister made of the impact of these measures on different kinds of local authority? I represent a rural...

Bill Presented: Clause 47 — Provision of education for persons subject to youth detention (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: It is a pleasure to face the Minister across the Dispatch Box for, I think, the first time, although we are old friends from Nottinghamshire days. He always approaches these matters with diligence and insight. I have seen off the first two Ministers to speak in this debate—the first has left the Chamber and the second wishes that he never left Hartlepool. We shall see what the third...

Bill Presented: Clause 40 — Education and training for persons over compulsory school age: general duty (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: I am grateful to the Minister for his glowing tribute. The point is that the legal personalities of the YPLA and SFA are very different. We were told at an earlier stage of consideration that a different model had been considered. Why did the Government come to the conclusion that those two organisations should have very different legal personalities, despite the relationship between them?

Bill Presented: Clause 40 — Education and training for persons over compulsory school age: general duty (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: rose—

Bill Presented: Clause 40 — Education and training for persons over compulsory school age: general duty (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: The Minister always brings immense charm to these proceedings, but he has not answered the question. We were told earlier that a different model had been considered by the Government for the legal personality of the SFA and the YPLA, and the relationship between the two. Why was this model adopted in preference to that one? Can he give me a straight answer?

Bill Presented: Clause 40 — Education and training for persons over compulsory school age: general duty (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: As the Under-Secretary said, the second group of amendments contains minor improvements, which we broadly welcome. He made it clear that Lords amendment 67 clarifies the relationship between the YPLA and local authorities, and that is helpful. We have consistently argued that sixth-form colleges should be able to convert to a further education corporation after two rather than five years from...

Bill Presented: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: While the Minister is in the mood to give assurances, can he finally wrap up the matter of sector skills councils? The amendments, reinforced by some of the remarks in the White Paper—although I feel that there is a contradiction between the RDAs and SSCs in this respect—make it clear that sector skills councils will play a critical role in approving qualifications. How can that...

Bill Presented: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: Before the Minister sits down, will he say a word about amendments 84 to 86—those recommended by Lord Layard?

Bill Presented: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: I do not want to digress, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I can see in your benevolent but stern eye that you thought that I might do so.

Bill Presented: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: I shall simply say to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) that I defer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb) in all such matters, and he tells me that "they will not be excluded"—quote, unquote. [Interruption.] We must move on. The amendments to clause 30 deal with certification. [Interruption.]

Bill Presented: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: I am immensely grateful for your benevolence, Madam Deputy Speaker. My hon. Friend the Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton will have his chance to speak later. [Interruption.] Much later, actually. The amendments relating to certification address concerns raised by Lord Layard that the Bill introduced the perception of a possible hierarchy of qualifications where "occupational...

Bill Presented: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: I shall not delay the hon. Gentleman, but I am familiar with both of the reports from the all-party group. In fact, I was a witness for both. He made a point about older learners and, as he said, the report on women emphasises the importance of making training opportunities available to women in their 20s. He will be as shocked as I am, therefore, to hear of the leaked Government document...

Bill Presented: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: It is a great pleasure to return to these matters. As the Minister said, it has been a long journey, but not an entirely unhappy one. The Bill has certainly been improved by consideration in Committee here and more especially in the other place. It is the Lords' views on these matters, of course, that we are considering today. I press the Minister on the issue of sector skills councils, which...

Bill Presented: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: As the Minister knows, I am both straightforward and generous, and I have said on the record in the House that progress has been made on completions. However, in a similar spirit of straightforwardness—and even, perhaps, of a little generosity—the Minister might acknowledge that the number of level 3 apprenticeships has not met Government targets and has come nowhere near what the...

Bill Presented: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill (11 Nov 2009)

John Hayes: The hon. Gentleman has a distinguished record as the chairman of the all-party group on skills, and he is a diligent and knowledgeable speaker and thinker on these subjects. I do not wish to embarrass him by creating a gap between his position and that of his Front-Bench colleagues, but he is not unsympathetic to the Conservative policy of an all-age careers service with a presence in every...