Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Morgan of Cotes and Stephen Timms

Monday 1st December 2014 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Timms (East Ham) (Lab)]

3. What recent discussions she has had with the CBI on careers education in schools.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Nicky Morgan)]

One of my priorities is to ensure that more of our young people are leaving education with the skills to succeed in modern Britain. In October, I hosted a round-table discussion with employers and education sector representatives, including the CBI, on this important issue. We are consulting representatives to examine what further steps we can take to prepare young people for the world of work more effectively, and to ensure that businesses are engaging with schools in meaningful ways.

[Stephen Timms]

The CBI business manifesto was published last month. It highlights

“the shameful state of careers provision in English schools”.

It emphasises that girls in particular are losing out, but states that everyone is suffering as a result of what seems to be the virtual collapse of careers education. Why has the situation been allowed to get this bad, and what is the Secretary of State going to do to fix it?

[Nicky Morgan]

I agree with the right hon. Gentleman; I was particularly struck by the paragraphs about the state of girls’ education and aspirations:

“We’re losing out on the contribution women can make because too many girls at school, college or in the workplace are writing off—or are written off from—particular jobs for no good reason…Choices should not be closed off to anyone, and the full facts about earnings and opportunities need to be available to all, especially women.”

That is why one scheme—there are many others—that this Government are supporting is the Your Life campaign, which is supported by more than 200 leading representatives from businesses, education, civil society and government to show how science and maths can lead to exciting and successful careers.

Equitable Life (Payments) Bill

Debate between Baroness Morgan of Cotes and Stephen Timms

Tuesday 14th September 2010 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Timms]

I will make a little more progress, and then I will gladly give way again.

The ombudsman spotted a contradiction, and wrote to every member in July making that clear. She said:

“In the light of the new Government’s commitment to implement that recommendation… the approach embodied in the Chadwick report has thus been overtaken by events and cannot provide a basis for the implementation of my recommendation.”

In opposition, the Minister and his right hon. Friends could promise the earth, but now that they are in government their promises are worthless.

[Nicky Morgan (Loughborough) (Con)]

The right hon. Gentleman has not yet mentioned the impact on the public purse. He does talk, however, about how incandescent former policyholders are. They are incandescent about the fact that compensation has been delayed for so long and that the last Government left the economy in such a mess, and as a result the ombudsman has had to say that compensation will have to be limited because of the effect on the public purse. How will Opposition Members explain that to policyholders?

[Stephen Timms]

If the hon. Lady had suggested that the words she has just uttered should have been inserted into the pledge before it was signed by so many Members on the Government Benches she would be on stronger ground, but she and many others gave the impression they were signing up to it in full. Indeed, they did sign the pledge as it stood, without those caveats, so it is no good their now coming back and saying, “We didn’t quite mean what EMAG thought we meant when we signed that pledge.” Therefore, this is the situation: the ombudsman says her proposal and Chadwick are irreconcilable, EMAG backs the ombudsman, and the Minister said before the election that is what he would deliver, but now he says the opposite.