Oral Answers to Questions

Anne Milton Excerpts

Monday 25th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

18. What steps he is taking to improve social mobility in post-16 education.

[The Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills (Anne Milton)]

We published a plan last year for improving social mobility through education, which set out the actions we are taking to increase social mobility. A crucial part of that is a career strategy, which I launched last year. Legislation came into force this year, including a requirement to allow further education technical and apprenticeship providers to have the opportunity to talk to young people. At the heart of the career strategy are those Gatsby benchmarks, which will make sure that young people get good careers advice.

[Mr Sharma]

In a country with world-leading education, why is there such a significant attainment gap for those with English as a second language?

[Anne Milton]

This is absolutely crucial. Obviously, someone who cannot speak English will be at a disadvantage. We have done a great deal more to improve the roll-out of ESOL. On the work we are doing in primary schools, the proportion of six-year-olds meeting expected standards in the phonics screening check has risen dramatically.

[Sandy Martin (Ipswich) (Lab)]

20. What recent assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness of children’s centres and (b) ability of families to access those centres.

--- Later in debate ---

[Angela Rayner (Ashton-under-Lyne) (Lab)]

Just weeks ago, Ministers stood at the Dispatch Box, rejected our call to save the NHS bursary and promised that 5,000 apprentice nursing associates would be recruited this year to tackle the nursing shortage. Half were due to be recruited by April. Can the Minister confirm that Ministers have now missed that target by 60% and tell us how many people will start apprenticeships this year?

[The Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills (Anne Milton)]

We need to make sure that nursing apprenticeships and apprenticeships for nursing assistants work well. There are complex problems in the NHS, not least in providing 40% off-the-job training and the fact that those apprentices are supernumerary. I am working very closely with Ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care to make sure that we make this work.

I was, in effect, a nursing apprentice. I know how well such apprenticeships can work, and I am determined to make sure they do.

[Jeremy Quin (Horsham) (Con)]

T3. When will the Minister have the opportunity to review the zoning of the area cost adjustment element of the national funding formula?

--- Later in debate ---

[Mrs Kemi Badenoch (Saffron Walden) (Con)]

T9. There is still a strong demand across businesses in my constituency for technical skills. What progress has been made on the introduction of the new institutes of technology?

[Anne Milton]

Sixteen proposals for institutes of technology will go through to stage 2, which we will launch in July. IOTs are a collaboration between higher education and further education, with a focus on levels 4 and 5; traditionally, this has been rather neglected in this country but it is so crucial for building the skills base. They will also extend to levels 6 and 7. There will be a £170 million capital fund to help IOTs get off the ground.

[Dr Paul Williams (Stockton South) (Lab)]

I have recently learned that “consequence booths”, where children spend up to seven hours in a small booth without contact with peers, are being used by academies in my constituency. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how we can protect children in Stockton South from this threat to their mental health?

[Eddie Hughes (Walsall North) (Con)]

Will the Minister join me in encouraging young people in Walsall to attend the open evening at Walsall College, rated as outstanding by Ofsted, on Wednesday afternoon from 4 till 7, in advance of it delivering T-levels from September?

[Anne Milton]

My hon. Friend has given a great advert for T-levels. Contrary to what the shadow Minister said, T-levels have been viewed as a huge success, as shown by the broad support at the conference of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers this morning. They are a fantastic opportunity for our young people.