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Apprenticeships (EAC Report)

My Lords, this has been an excellent debate. I congratulate and thank everyone who has played a part in it. I congratulate in particular the noble Baroness, Lady Garden, on an excellent maiden speech. Every time I hear an excellent maiden speech it takes me right back to when I made my maiden speech in the House of Commons many years ago. One of my friends said to me afterwards, ““At least it will read well in Hansard””. The noble Baroness need not worry about that; her speech sounded well tonight and will read well tomorrow. It was full of matters of substance, which we appreciate. I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Triesman. I am not absolutely sure about how timetables work or whether I am saying the right thing at the right time, but if he is off to pastures new in the not too distant future then this is the probably the last time he will be replying to a debate that I have started. I think I speak for everyone I know of when I say that he has been highly respected and admired in all the jobs he has done here. I tell him, though, that if he is going where I think he is going, I shall keep an eye on him. I went to one of the very few schools whose old boys have ever won the FA Cup. That was about 130 years ago, around the time when it seems to be the general view of the House that all the problems with apprenticeships started, so that may be a lesson for all of us. On Question, Motion agreed to.