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Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2009                  

499

 

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

 
 

(6)    

Each document issued by the Secretary of State or the National Assembly for

 

Wales and falling within subsections (2)(a)(i) or (ii) or (3)(a) or (b) shall state

 

clearly the persons for whom any advice and guidance is intended.

 

(7)    

In this section “academic year” means a period beginning with 1 August and

 

ending with the next 31 July.’.

 


 

Communication with sixth form colleges

 

Mr Nick Gibb

 

Mrs Maria Miller

 

Mr John Hayes

 

Bill Wiggin

 

NC6

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

In considering whether to issue any guidance or other circular to the governing

 

bodies or principals of sixth form colleges in the exercise of functions relating to

 

education, the Secretary of State and the relevant local education authority shall

 

have regard to—

 

(a)    

the desirability of providing information about good educational

 

practice, while recognising the professional expertise of college staff,

 

(b)    

the benefits that are expected to result from the issue of the guidance or

 

other circular, and

 

(c)    

the desirability of avoiding—

 

(i)    

the sending of excessive material to governing bodies or

 

principals, and

 

(ii)    

the imposition of excessive administrative burdens on governing

 

bodies or principals.

 

(2)    

In pursuance of the duty in subsection (1), the Secretary of State shall in respect

 

of each academic year—

 

(a)    

prepare a report listing—

 

(i)    

documents sent by him or a local education authority during the

 

year to all governing bodies of sixth form colleges in England or

 

to all principals of such colleges, and

 

(ii)    

documents (not falling within sub-paragraph (i)) sent by him

 

during the year to all governing bodies of sixth form colleges in

 

England of a particular kind or to all principals of such colleges

 

of a particular kind, and

 

(b)    

lay a copy of the report before each House of Parliament, and include

 

within it comparative statistics in respect of each of the two preceding

 

academic years on documents falling within this subsection sent out by

 

him.

 

(3)    

Each document issued by the Secretary of State or a local education authority and

 

falling within subsection (2)(a)(i) shall list within it previous relevant documents

 

issued by the Secretary of State or a local education authority and shall state

 

clearly those documents which are superseded by the current document.

 

(4)    

Each document issued by the Secretary of State or local education authority and

 

falling within subsection (2)(a)(i) or (ii) shall state clearly the persons for whom

 

any advice and guidance is intended.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2009                  

500

 

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

 
 

(5)    

In this section “academic year” means a period beginning with 1 August and

 

ending with the next 31 July.’.

 


 

Prescribed courses

 

Mr Nick Gibb

 

Mrs Maria Miller

 

Mr John Hayes

 

Bill Wiggin

 

NC7

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘In section 65(c) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 “Prescribed

 

courses” includes units or modules comprising parts of directly funded

 

qualifications.’.

 


 

Payments to employers

 

Mr Nick Gibb

 

Mr John Hayes

 

Mrs Maria Miller

 

Bill Wiggin

 

NC8

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The Chief Executive of Skills Funding shall ensure that—

 

(a)    

all employers who take on an apprentice within a recognised

 

apprenticeships framework are paid directly by the Chief Executive of

 

Skills Funding;

 

(b)    

funding for apprentices is paid out in one sum at the beginning of the

 

apprenticeship framework; and

 

(c)    

another sum is paid out upon completion.

 

(2)    

The Chief Executive of Skills Funding shall ensure that—

 

(a)    

any company with between 1 and 250 employees that subsequently takes

 

on a full-time apprentice within a recognised apprenticeship framework

 

should be paid a direct bonus on the learner’s completion of the full

 

apprenticeship framework;

 

(b)    

the bonus stipulated is paid in one sum upon completion of the full

 

apprenticeship framework; and

 

(c)    

a consultation process with small to medium companies engaged in fields

 

related to science, engineering, technology and mathematics is

 

undertaken with reference to the size of the financial incentive for these

 

sectors.

 

(3)    

The Chief Executive of Skills Funding shall—

 

(a)    

ensure that funds shall be provided for group training associations to

 

provide apprenticeship training;


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2009                  

501

 

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

 
 

(b)    

ensure that funding is paid to employers involved in the establishment of

 

group training associations;

 

(c)    

encourage employers who already operate successful apprenticeship

 

schemes to support group training associations.’.

 


 

Skills Funding Agency

 

Mr David Laws

 

Stephen Williams

 

Annette Brooke

 

NC9

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

There is to be a body corporate called the Skills Funding Agency.

 

(2)    

The discharge of the powers and duties of the Skills Funding Agency shall be the

 

responsibility of the Chief Executive of Skills Funding.

 

(3)    

The Secretary of State must make regulations to amend Section 49(a) of the

 

Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to impose a specific duty on the Skills

 

Funding Agency with a requirement to publish a disability equality scheme by 1st

 

December 2009.’.

 


 

Persons aged 16 to 18 with a learning difficulty

 

Mr David Laws

 

Stephen Williams

 

Annette Brooke

 

NC10

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The Chief Executive must, in performing the functions of the office, have regard

 

to the needs of persons with learning difficulties to whom this section applies.

 

(2)    

This section applies to persons who are aged 16 to 18, other than persons who are

 

aged under 25 and are subject to learning difficulty assessment.

 

(3)    

For the purposes of this section, a person has a learning difficulty if—

 

(a)    

the person has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the

 

majority of persons the same age, or

 

(b)    

the person has a disability which prevents or hinders the person from

 

making use of facilities of a kind generally provided by institutions

 

providing education falling within section 92(1)(a) or (b).’.

 



 
 

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2009                  

502

 

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

 
 

Provision of support in the apprenticeship workplace

 

Mr David Laws

 

Stephen Williams

 

Annette Brooke

 

NC11

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The Chief Executive of Skills Funding has a duty to ensure that apprentices with

 

learning difficulties receive appropriate support in the workplace through—

 

(a)    

special educational needs provision for apprentices in the workplace over

 

the age of 16; and

 

(b)    

The Access to Work Scheme.

 

(2)    

The Chief Executive of Skills Funding has a duty to ensure that employers and

 

apprentices are informed of their entitlement to support in the apprenticeship

 

workplace.

 

(3)    

In this section “support in the apprenticeship workplace” includes special

 

educational needs provision (regardless of whether the apprentice is subject to

 

learning difficulty assessment) and the Access to Work Scheme.’.

 


 

Council for Adult Skills and Higher Education

 

Stephen Williams

 

Mr David Laws

 

Annette Brooke

 

NC12

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘A new Council for Adult Skills and Higher Education shall be established to

 

distribute funding for all adult education, taking over the current functions of the

 

Learning and Skills Council and the Higher Education and Funding Council for

 

England and with the National Apprenticeships Service as a subordinate body.’.

 


 

Group training associations

 

Stephen Williams

 

Mr David Laws

 

Annette Brooke

 

NC13

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘The National Apprenticeships Service shall establish Group Training

 

Associations to assist small employers in the provision of apprentice places.’.

 



 
 

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2009                  

503

 

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

 
 

Review of wage levels

 

Stephen Williams

 

Mr David Laws

 

Annette Brooke

 

NC14

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘The National Apprenticeships Service shall undertake periodic reviews of the

 

level of wages paid to apprentices.’.

 


 

Academy arrangements

 

Mr Nick Gibb

 

Mr John Hayes

 

Mrs Maria Miller

 

Bill Wiggin

 

NC15

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The Secretary of State may require the Chief Executive of Academies to enter

 

into Academy arrangements with the Secretary of State.

 

(2)    

For the purposes of this section and sections 75 and 76 “Academy arrangements”

 

are arrangements under which the Chief Executive of Academies is required to

 

exercise specified Academy functions on the Secretary of State’s behalf in

 

accordance with the arrangements.

 

(3)    

An “Academy function” is a function of the Secretary of State relating to or

 

exercisable in connection with—

 

(a)    

Academies, city technology colleges or city colleges for the technology

 

of the arts generally,

 

(b)    

a particular, or particular description of, Academy, city technology

 

college or city college for the technology of the arts.

 

(4)    

Academy functions include in particular functions of the Secretary of State

 

under—

 

(a)    

section 482 of the Education Act 1996 (c. 56) (Academies) or an

 

agreement entered into under that section,

 

(b)    

Schedule 35A to that Act (Academies: land).

 

(5)    

References in a provision made by or under this or any other Act to the functions

 

of the Chief Executive of Academies do not include any functions conferred or

 

imposed on the Chief Executive of Academies under Academy arrangements.’.

 



 
 

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2009                  

504

 

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

 
 

Chief Executive of Academies

 

Mr Nick Gibb

 

Mr John Hayes

 

Mrs Maria Miller

 

Bill Wiggin

 

NC16

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

There is to be a Chief Executive of Academies.

 

(2)    

In this Part that person is referred to as “the Chief Executive of Academies”.

 

(3)    

The Chief Executive of Academies is to be appointed by the Secretary of State.

 

(4)    

The Chief Executive of Academies is to perform the functions of the office in

 

relation to England only.

 

(5)    

Schedule [The Chief Executive of Academies] makes further provision about the

 

Chief Executive of Academies.’.

 


 

Children to be seen separately

 

Mr David Laws

 

Stephen Williams

 

Annette Brooke

 

NC21

 

Parliamentary Star - white    

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘After section 16 of the Children Act 2004 insert—

 

“16A  

Children to be seen separately

 

(1)    

The children’s services authority shall secure that, when any child who is

 

the subject of—

 

(a)    

an investigation under section 47 of the Children Act 1989, or

 

(b)    

a child protection plan agreed by the Local Safeguarding

 

Children Board is visited by his or her key worker,

 

    

the child shall if practicable and reasonable in the circumstances, be seen

 

separately from his or her parent or care-giver.

 

(2)    

Where the child is not seen separately from his or her parent or care-giver

 

under subsection (1) the reasons for not doing so shall be recorded by the

 

key worker.

 

(3)    

The key worker referred to in subsections (1) and (2) is—

 

(a)    

in the case of subsection (1)(a) the lead social worker appointed

 

by the children’s services authority; and

 

(b)    

in the case of subsection (1)(b), the key worker appointed by the

 

Local Safeguarding Children Board.”’.

 



 
 

Public Bill Committee: 19 March 2009                  

505

 

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

 
 

Achievement and attainment tables

 

Mr David Laws

 

Stephen Williams

 

Annette Brooke

 

NC22

 

Parliamentary Star - white    

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘Ofqual shall set and publish the criteria and indicators, including those for the

 

allocation of credit ratings, which shall be used for the allocation of qualifications

 

contained within achievement and attainment tables published by the Secretary

 

of State.’.

 


 

New Schedule

 

Mr Nick Gibb

 

Mr John Hayes

 

Mrs Maria Miller

 

Bill Wiggin

 

NS1

 

To move the following Schedule:—

 

‘the chief executive of academies

 

Status

 

1    (1)  

The Chief Executive of Academies is to perform the functions of the office on

 

behalf of the Crown.

 

      (2)  

The person for the time being holding the office of Chief Executive of

 

Academies is by the name of that office to be a corporation sole.

 

Tenure of office and terms of appointment

 

2    (1)  

The Secretary of State may remove the Chief Executive of Academies from

 

office on the grounds of inability or unfitness to carry out the functions of the

 

office.

 

      (2)  

The Chief Executive of Academies may resign at any time by giving written

 

notice to the Secretary of State.

 

      (3)  

Otherwise, the Chief Executive of Academies holds and vacates office in

 

accordance with the terms of appointment to that office (which may include

 

provision for dismissal).

 

      (4)  

Service as Chief Executive of Academies is to be service in the civil service of

 

the State.

 

Staff

 

3    (1)  

The Chief Executive of Academies may appoint staff.

 

      (2)  

Service as a member of the Chief Executive of Academy’s staff is to be service

 

in the civil service of the State.

 

      (3)  

Subject to sub-paragraph (2), the conditions of service of the staff appointed

 

by the Chief Executive of Academies are to be determined by the Chief

 

Executive of Academies.


 
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