Today I am announcing the successful proposals for England to receive a share of the migration impacts fund. The fund provides £35 million across the UK for 2009-10 financed by a levy on migrants and, subject to a review in the autumn, a similar amount in 2010-11. This money will...

Today I am announcing the successful proposals for England to receive a share of the migration impacts fund. The fund provides £35 million across the UK for 2009-10 financed by a levy on migrants and, subject to a review in the autumn, a similar amount in 2010-11. This money will...

It is a pleasure to reply to the debate. I apologise to my hon. Friends and to Opposition Members if I cannot respond to all their comments in detail. A wide range of issues has been raised. My hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Marsden) emphasised the needs...

It is a pleasure to reply to the debate. I apologise to my hon. Friends and to Opposition Members if I cannot respond to all their comments in detail. A wide range of issues has been raised. My hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Marsden) emphasised the needs...

Whatever is the case, the Opposition are in some confusion on this issue. The hon. Member for Surrey Heath said he had inadvertently deleted a letter from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families asking about the schools budget, so let me remind the...

Whatever is the case, the Opposition are in some confusion on this issue. The hon. Member for Surrey Heath said he had inadvertently deleted a letter from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families asking about the schools budget, so let me remind the...

What the hon. Gentleman needs to understand is that what matters—this is very important—is the number of people who successfully qualify in an apprenticeship. When the hon. Gentleman's party was in power about a quarter of people—if that—ever completed an apprenticeship. The completion rate is now up to two thirds....

What the hon. Gentleman needs to understand is that what matters—this is very important—is the number of people who successfully qualify in an apprenticeship. When the hon. Gentleman's party was in power about a quarter of people—if that—ever completed an apprenticeship. The completion rate is now up to two thirds....

This is an important measure and it will take forward the skills agenda—[Laughter.] It will take it forward in a way that the Opposition have never done. When they were in power, there was no investment in apprenticeships, and none in the FE capital programme. I heard the concerns expressed...

This is an important measure and it will take forward the skills agenda—[Laughter.] It will take it forward in a way that the Opposition have never done. When they were in power, there was no investment in apprenticeships, and none in the FE capital programme. I heard the concerns expressed...

I have resisted intervening on a number of tendentious facts and claims uttered by the hon. Gentleman in the past half hour, but will he withdraw his claim that there has been a moratorium on construction, and will he confirm that the full £2.3 billion of further education capital budget...

I have resisted intervening on a number of tendentious facts and claims uttered by the hon. Gentleman in the past half hour, but will he withdraw his claim that there has been a moratorium on construction, and will he confirm that the full £2.3 billion of further education capital budget...

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill. Second reading debate. Agreed to on question. Programme motion on proceedings in Committee, on Report, Third Reading and any other proceedings. Agreed to on question. Queen's recommendation signified. Money resolution agreed to on question. Ways and Means resolution agreed to on question.

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill. Second reading debate. Agreed to on question. Programme motion on proceedings in Committee, on Report, Third Reading and any other proceedings. Agreed to on question. Queen's recommendation signified. Money resolution agreed to on question. Ways and Means resolution agreed to on question.

As I understand it, the two projects to which my hon. Friend refers have received full approval in detail. None of the colleges that have received such approval is affected by the current delay in LSC consideration.

As I understand it, the two projects to which my hon. Friend refers have received full approval in detail. None of the colleges that have received such approval is affected by the current delay in LSC consideration.

We have established a clearing house in the construction sector to try to match apprentices who may lose their jobs with other placements. We have also changed some of the rules in the system to make it easier for apprentices to continue their college-based training to get the necessary technical...

We have established a clearing house in the construction sector to try to match apprentices who may lose their jobs with other placements. We have also changed some of the rules in the system to make it easier for apprentices to continue their college-based training to get the necessary technical...

As I understand it, no college plan has been presented to the LSC in the hon. Gentleman's constituency for approval, even in principle. It may well be that his local college has aspirations and hopes to move forward, as many others do and rightly should, but it does not do...

As I understand it, no college plan has been presented to the LSC in the hon. Gentleman's constituency for approval, even in principle. It may well be that his local college has aspirations and hopes to move forward, as many others do and rightly should, but it does not do...

I am afraid that that is true. If we move to cut hundreds of millions of pounds from a budget in just a couple of months' time, large areas of spending will not be possible. For that sort of cut, we could shut six universities—but of course we could not...

I am afraid that that is true. If we move to cut hundreds of millions of pounds from a budget in just a couple of months' time, large areas of spending will not be possible. For that sort of cut, we could shut six universities—but of course we could not...

I shall make a little progress and then come back to my hon. Friend. We believe that, in addition to support for investment in skills and training, there should be an increase in support for those who lose their jobs. The Conservative party opposed the measures needed to pay for...

I shall make a little progress and then come back to my hon. Friend. We believe that, in addition to support for investment in skills and training, there should be an increase in support for those who lose their jobs. The Conservative party opposed the measures needed to pay for...

As the Conservative party has made clear, the whole £1 billion in the Train to Gain budget for 2010-11 would not be spent on those activities. I shall come back to that issue later. The whole package of support for small businesses, and now for larger companies, and for the...

As the Conservative party has made clear, the whole £1 billion in the Train to Gain budget for 2010-11 would not be spent on those activities. I shall come back to that issue later. The whole package of support for small businesses, and now for larger companies, and for the...

I will give way to the hon. Gentleman, yes.

I will give way to the hon. Gentleman, yes.

I might choose more temperate and moderate language. However, it is reasonable to assume that many Conservative Members seeking to intervene will, like the hon. Member for Havant, want to suggest that more money should be spent. Conservative Members need to understand that they come from a party whose leader...

I might choose more temperate and moderate language. However, it is reasonable to assume that many Conservative Members seeking to intervene will, like the hon. Member for Havant, want to suggest that more money should be spent. Conservative Members need to understand that they come from a party whose leader...

My hon. Friend is right on both points. It is indicative that the hon. Member for Havant was unable to recognise one of the biggest success stories of recent years—that by providing modest financial support for people at work to encourage their friends to get involved in learning, we have...

My hon. Friend is right on both points. It is indicative that the hon. Member for Havant was unable to recognise one of the biggest success stories of recent years—that by providing modest financial support for people at work to encourage their friends to get involved in learning, we have...

Skills and further education. Fourth Opposition Day debate (part 1). Motion negatived on division (308 votes to 218). Amendment agreed to on question.

Skills and further education. Fourth Opposition Day debate (part 1). Motion negatived on division (308 votes to 218). Amendment agreed to on question.

I suggest that the hon. Gentleman go back and look at the statistics about 10 years ago, and he will see that on every one of the measures that he quoted, there has been a dramatic improvement under this Government as a result of the investment that we have made....

I suggest that the hon. Gentleman go back and look at the statistics about 10 years ago, and he will see that on every one of the measures that he quoted, there has been a dramatic improvement under this Government as a result of the investment that we have made....

Indeed, I shall do that in a moment. However, will the hon. Gentleman help us? The leader of his party announced billions of pounds of spending cuts for the next financial year. He protected some areas of spending but not this Department. That is where the £610 million of cuts...

Indeed, I shall do that in a moment. However, will the hon. Gentleman help us? The leader of his party announced billions of pounds of spending cuts for the next financial year. He protected some areas of spending but not this Department. That is where the £610 million of cuts...

Let me get a little further, if I may, in setting out the position. As part of the boost to the economy, which the Conservative party has opposed, we have brought forward £220 million over the spending review period to this year and the next. Let us be clear: it...

Let me get a little further, if I may, in setting out the position. As part of the boost to the economy, which the Conservative party has opposed, we have brought forward £220 million over the spending review period to this year and the next. Let us be clear: it...