COMMUNITY LISBON PROGRAMME: FOSTERING
ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSETS THROUGH EDUCATION AND TRAINING (6505/06)
Letter from the Chairman to Bill Rammell
MP, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher
Education, Department for Education and Skills
Thank you very much for Explanatory Memorandum
6505/06 which Sub-Committee A considered at their meeting on 28
March and decided to release from scrutiny.
The Committee broadly welcome such exercises
as valuable contributions to improving the Open Method of Co-ordination
which underpins the Lisbon Agenda. However, the Committee note
that your Explanatory Memorandum does not demonstrate that you
have analysed the policies in this area that are being pursued
by other Member States. The Committee consider that an honest
evaluation of national policies, informed by a review of the actions
taken in other Member States, is necessary to ensure that best
practice is efficiently shared across Europe. Could you please
provide details of any such assessment that you have made.
I have also written to the Chancellor for further
clarification of how this Communication fits into the broader
Lisbon Agenda.
30 March 2006
Letter from the Chairman to Rt Hon Gordon
Brown MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, HM Treasury
As you may be aware, the Department for Education
and Skills has recently deposited Explanatory Memorandum 6505/06
for scrutiny by the European Union Committees of both Houses.
The Explanatory Memorandum and the Communication to which it refers
were considered by Sub-Committee A of the House of Lords EU Committee
on 28 March and were cleared from scrutiny. I have written to
Bill Rammell MP, the Minister responsible for the Explanatory
Memorandum, for clarification of some of the policy specific issues
raised in the document. I am writing to you following comments
made in evidence to my Committee by John Healey MP which indicated
that you were responsible for co-ordinating policies designed
to foster European growth and jobs.
Broadly, the Committee welcomes such contributions
from the Commission as we consider that they facilitate the sharing
of best practice between Member States which we consider to be
vital to the successful pursuit of the Lisbon Agenda's goals.
Therefore, I am writing to you, as Minister responsible for economic
policy, to ask for clarification of how this document fits into
the European economic reform framework. This is the first such
document we have considered. We would therefore be very grateful
if you would provide details of any other Communications, either
expected or already received, which seek to assess the performance
of Member States in relation to specific policy areas. We would
also be very grateful for information on the role you play in
co-ordinating the Government's analysis of and responses to such
Communications from the Commission.
30 March 2006
Letter from John Healey MP, Financial
Secretary, HM Treasury to the Chairman
Thank you for your letter of 30 March to the
Chancellor about the Commission communication implementing the
Lisbon programme. I have been asked to reply.
As you will be aware this Government is already
doing much to promote an enterprise culture in our schools and
universities that embraces the same principles as the European
Commission's communication on "Implementing the Community
Lisbon Programme: Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education
and learning." The Government recognises that a more entrepreneurial
culture can only be achieved through widespread engagement by
individuals and organisations across the UK. This must begin with
helping young people develop enterprise and business related skills.
Budget 2006 reported recently on the Goverment's actions in this
area.
You asked about the Chancellor's role in co-ordinating
the Lisbon process. The Chancellor has overall responsibility
for UK economic policy and overseeing delivery of the Government's
PSA target on Lisbon. The Lisbon agenda is wide ranging and several
Departments including DTI and DWP are responsible for policy and
delivery of many aspects. The Cabinet Office leads in co-ordinating
policy, as in other areas of UK Government policy. The Government
is not convinced that appointing a single Lisbon Minister would
further enhance the process of implementing reforms. The UK already
has a very effective system of internal co-ordination, and this
is reflected in our good track record on economic reform, which
is one of the best in Europe.
I hope you find this response helpful.
29 May 2006
Letter from Bill Rammell MP to the Chairman
Thank you for your letter of 30 March regarding
the above Commission document. I apologise for the delay in responding
to you.
You asked whether any evaluation of national
policies, informed by a review of the actions taken in other Member
States, has been carried out. The Government agrees that policy
development should be informed by evidence and best practice and
believes that it is important to learn from the experience of
other Member States. In this particular case, the government has
been actively involved in the production of two EU publications
(Education for Entrepreneurship in Primary and Secondary Schools
and Mini-Companies in Secondary Education) both of which made
comparisons between Member States. These publications were made
available to schools during the pathfinder phase of the Government's
enterprise education strategy.
In addition the UK will be participating in
a peer learning cluster on key competencies which will provide
an opportunity for policy makers from different Member States
to exchange best practice with their counterparts on enterprise
education. We will of course ensure that this process informs
future policy development.
Undated June 2006
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