Bob Russell

The Chairman of the Committee rightly praises the development of the 14-to-19 non-academic qualification. Does he agree, however, that that programme would be even more successful if there were not more than 100 colleges around the country whose promised building programmes have been halted? If the Government delivered what they promised, would that policy be more successful?

— from debate entitled “Education and Health”

The three speeches/headings immediately before

  1. 1 earlier: Barry Sheerman

    Yes, indeed. Is the hon. Gentleman going to make the same point to me that he has made to all the other speakers?

  2. 2 earlier: Bob Russell

    Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

  3. 3 earlier: Barry Sheerman

    I hear what my hon. Friend says and I have a measure of sympathy for that point of view.

    Before I am interrupted again by a Front Bencher, I must point out one last great achievement for which there should be greater all-party support-raising the participation age. I have always championed that and believed in it. I shall return to the Every Child Matters theme in a moment, but in this country, we consider people children until they are 18. That gives enormous protection to children, but it also means, when we are talking about raising the participation rate, that no child, until they are 18, should be allowed to go out into the big, wide world and work with no training or to be unemployed-that is absolutely right.

    I celebrate the fact that we are going to move the participation age to 17 and then to 18. That means not raising the school leaving age, but that every child must be in education, further education, an apprenticeship, in work with training, or in experience with training. That is a great step forward and I urge all parties to support it. It not only takes us deeply into the 21st century, but makes us competitive with nations that have similar commitments.

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