My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Wakeham, and the committee on an excellent report. It highlighted the many key areas that are in urgent need of attention. The committee found that while the UK has an excellent record in higher education it has a dangerously poor one in...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Wakeham, and the committee on an excellent report. It highlighted the many key areas that are in urgent need of attention. The committee found that while the UK has an excellent record in higher education it has a dangerously poor one in...

My Lords, I am happy to give way to the noble Lord, who gave the committee very distinguished evidence. I suspect that he is absolutely right to say that the problem goes back 130 years, but I sought to make the task easier for the Minister by just saying ““over...

My Lords, I am happy to give way to the noble Lord, who gave the committee very distinguished evidence. I suspect that he is absolutely right to say that the problem goes back 130 years, but I sought to make the task easier for the Minister by just saying ““over...

Lords debate on motion to take note of the report of the Economic Affairs Committee on Apprenticeship: A Key Route to Skill (HL 138 2006-07). Agreed to on question.

Lords debate on motion to take note of the report of the Economic Affairs Committee on Apprenticeship: A Key Route to Skill (HL 138 2006-07). Agreed to on question.

My Lords, it is very good that today we are once again discussing the issue of apprenticeships. It is always encouraging to have the presence of the Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Triesman, with his distinguished record in this House. Perhaps I may take the opportunity to congratulate him on...

My Lords, it is very good that today we are once again discussing the issue of apprenticeships. It is always encouraging to have the presence of the Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Triesman, with his distinguished record in this House. Perhaps I may take the opportunity to congratulate him on...

rose to move, That this House takes note of the report of the Economic Affairs Committee on Apprenticeship: A Key Route to Skill (Fifth Report, Session 2006-07, HL Paper 138). The noble Lord said: My Lords, I am very pleased to introduce this debate. The report of the Economic Affairs...

rose to move, That this House takes note of the report of the Economic Affairs Committee on Apprenticeship: A Key Route to Skill (Fifth Report, Session 2006-07, HL Paper 138). The noble Lord said: My Lords, I am very pleased to introduce this debate. The report of the Economic Affairs...

My Lords, perhaps I may intervene briefly. First, I congratulate the committee on an excellent report. I think that the noble Lord will find that it is nearer 130 years, and on top of that some 20 committees of inquiry were involved. I suspect that the greatest mistake in education...

My Lords, perhaps I may intervene briefly. First, I congratulate the committee on an excellent report. I think that the noble Lord will find that it is nearer 130 years, and on top of that some 20 committees of inquiry were involved. I suspect that the greatest mistake in education...

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...

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...

My Lords, first, I sincerely join all noble Lords in thanking the noble Lord, Lord Wakeham, and the Economic Affairs Committee for a painstaking and helpful report. I will try to do justice to it. It is encouraging to know that it was the ninth report and that—taking these two...

My Lords, first, I sincerely join all noble Lords in thanking the noble Lord, Lord Wakeham, and the Economic Affairs Committee for a painstaking and helpful report. I will try to do justice to it. It is encouraging to know that it was the ninth report and that—taking these two...

My Lords, I join others in thanking the noble Lord, Lord Wakeham, and his committee for producing this excellent report on a very important topic. Rightly, it was critical of the Government for their failure to develop a set of coherent initiatives and to carry them through consistently and with...

My Lords, I join others in thanking the noble Lord, Lord Wakeham, and his committee for producing this excellent report on a very important topic. Rightly, it was critical of the Government for their failure to develop a set of coherent initiatives and to carry them through consistently and with...

My Lords, I am happy to follow my noble friend Lord Macdonald, who spoke about his five-year apprenticeship, because I also did an apprenticeship but many years earlier than he did. I do not think that mine was as good as his. The important thing is that a higher number...

My Lords, I am happy to follow my noble friend Lord Macdonald, who spoke about his five-year apprenticeship, because I also did an apprenticeship but many years earlier than he did. I do not think that mine was as good as his. The important thing is that a higher number...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Garden of Frognal, on the excellent contribution that she has made to this debate in her maiden speech to your Lordships’ House. What she said tonight was based on a distinguished career in teaching and, in particular, on her long-standing role in...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Garden of Frognal, on the excellent contribution that she has made to this debate in her maiden speech to your Lordships’ House. What she said tonight was based on a distinguished career in teaching and, in particular, on her long-standing role in...

My Lords, it is not often that a report from this House is followed within four months by the promise of a government Bill. As a member of the committee, it would be nice to think that this is a case of post hoc, propter hoc. Whether or not that...

My Lords, it is not often that a report from this House is followed within four months by the promise of a government Bill. As a member of the committee, it would be nice to think that this is a case of post hoc, propter hoc. Whether or not that...

My Lords, it is a great privilege and pleasure to join your Lordships’ House. The range of experience and the quality of debate are truly impressive, as instanced by this very debate. I join others in congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Wakeham, and his committee on an excellent and trenchant...

My Lords, it is a great privilege and pleasure to join your Lordships’ House. The range of experience and the quality of debate are truly impressive, as instanced by this very debate. I join others in congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Wakeham, and his committee on an excellent and trenchant...