Apprenticeships

Baroness Primarolo Excerpts

Wednesday 4th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Dawn Primarolo)]

I advise hon. Members, both Front Benchers and Back Benchers, that there are under two hours for this entire debate. I will do my best to make sure that everybody gets in. Depending on the length of the opening speeches, there will be a time limit, which I will let the House know as soon as I can.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Djanogly]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. The hon. Gentleman said that the number of apprenticeships in my constituency had fallen, but I am looking at the House of Commons published figures—

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Dawn Primarolo)]

Order. Mr Djanogly, you are continuing the debate; that is not a point of order for the Chair. We are pressed for time, and we need to make sure we hear the opening speeches from both sides and have the debate. You have not indicated that you want to speak, whereas others have. We need to get on to the debate, so I call Chuka Umunna.

[Mr Umunna]

I was going to give way to the hon. Member for Gloucester (Richard Graham), before giving way to my hon. Friend the Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Gwynne).

[Richard Graham]

I seek the hon. Gentleman’s thoughts on three quick points—

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

Order. Sit down please, Mr Graham. This is not the opportunity to make three quick points—it is an intervention. [Interruption.] No, I am going to be really strict on this. You wish to speak in this debate as well, and I am doing my best to protect time for Back Benchers. The convention of an intervention is: one point relevant to the point being made. So not three points, but one, thank you.

[Richard Graham]

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. My one point is simply to ask the shadow Business Secretary whether he has considered what the impact of 2 million apprentices is on the wages of the lower earners, and whether it is not natural that a substantial increase in the number of apprenticeships will lead to more people not earning quite as much as they will in the future when they are better trained.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Umunna]

I agree with what the Secretary of State is saying. I am seeking not to devalue level 2 qualifications but to bring us up to—[Interruption.] Well, Mr Graham says that we want—[Interruption.]

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Dawn Primarolo)]

Order. Mr Graham is not taking part in this exchange. Just make your intervention, Mr Umunna.

[Mr Umunna]

What we are proposing is to bring us up to the same benchmarks as our competitors, who are more productive than we are.