PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Education: Accountability (21 April 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has had discussions with the Department for (a) Work and Pensions and the (b) Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the steps required to improve accountability in the further education system in order to meet local need.

Asked by:
Karin Smyth (Labour)

We are having regular conversations with The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) and The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on the further education reforms we set out in the skills for jobs white paper, where we described our plans to shift the accountability system towards focussing on meeting local and national skills need and giving employers a stronger role in shaping local skills provision through new employer-led plans. We have been having these conversations at official and ministerial level. We have committed to consulting on our proposals on accountability in the spring and will be engaging on the detail with other government departments, including DWP and BEIS, before launching the consultation.

Answered by:
Gillian Keegan (Conservative)
26 April 2021