Entrepreneurship Opportunities

Baroness Howarth of Breckland Excerpts

Thursday 24th May 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wilcox]

Somebody clever beside me has just said that the noble Lord was describing a sandwich course, but there we are.

[Baroness Howarth of Breckland]

My Lords, following the Minister’s comments in relation to families, does she agree that young people’s initiative can be either stifled or encouraged by their family background? In the past, there have been initiatives on family learning. Does the Minister know where the initiatives have reached and will she encourage them in the future?

[Baroness Wilcox]

I have to admit that I do not know anything about such courses but I shall look into this when I leave the Chamber. No doubt the people in the Box will tell me that I should have been able to answer the noble Baroness. This bears out what I said earlier about family background and the need to help as much as possible. We are working with schools and are even working with primary schools to see whether we can encourage parents to be more engaged with the school. Of course, it is for schools to do that but where we can help we will, and I thank the noble Baroness for the suggestion.