High Street Retailers

Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Baroness Rebuck

Wednesday 25th April 2018 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Rebuck (Lab)]

My Lords—

[The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Evans of Bowes Park) (Con)]

My Lords, it is the turn of the Conservative Benches.

Adult Education: Part-time Attendance

Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Baroness Rebuck

Wednesday 9th March 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

We want people to be able to access higher and further education in whatever way they think is best; night schools are one way to do that. Therefore, in order to provide flexibility for people who want to do further studies, there should be a whole range of provision so that people from all backgrounds and ages can access the support that suits them best.

[Baroness Rebuck (Lab)]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

I am afraid that I do not have those specific numbers to hand but I will be happy to try to find them and get back to my noble friend in writing.

[Baroness Rebuck]

Will the Minister comment on the Skills Funding Agency report, which found that there are now 1.3 million fewer adults in further education compared to 2010?

Women: Literacy

Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Baroness Rebuck

Tuesday 8th March 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Con)]

Being able to read well is essential. Poor literacy is associated with higher levels of unemployment and poorer health and well-being. We are improving literacy provision from early years through to adult education. More than 250,000 adult women achieved an English qualification, paid for by the Government, in the academic year 2013-14.

[Baroness Rebuck]

I thank the Minister for her reply, but we are in a perilous position. Literacy skills for 16 to 24 year-olds in England are at the bottom of the OECD charts, and we are one of the few countries where young people underperform their elders. More young women than men are not in education, employment or training and 70% of lone parents—mostly women—without qualifications are unemployed. Will the Minister tell the House how the Government are helping these vulnerable young women and their children break the cycle of underachievement? What does she believe will be the impact on the learning opportunities of the 9 million adults in England with poor basic literacy skills of the withdrawal of funds from many front-line literacy charities and the closure of libraries in some of our most deprived communities?

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

I thank the noble Baroness for her question which covered quite a range of issues. In changing our approach, we are ensuring that all 16 year-olds who do not get at least a grade C in English GCSE continue to study English, so we are looking to improve attainment at that level. As a result of that change, over 2,300 more girls achieved an English GCSE last year than the year before. We are doing a lot of work in local communities, including continuing to invest £200 million a year in community learning, which is specifically aimed at engaging people who are disadvantaged. Seventy-two per cent of the participants in that programme are women, so we are working within schools and in community projects to ensure access to literacy for as many women as possible.