Oral Answers to Questions

Barry Sheerman Excerpts

Wednesday 13th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am very happy to join my hon. Friend in congratulating community foundations across the UK. I was very pleased to be able to have a meeting with the chief executive of the Berkshire Community Foundation just a couple of weeks ago to hear about the excellent work it is undertaking in Berkshire. I know from what my hon. Friend has said that, across communities across the country, these are an important contributor to and an example of the shared society, as he says.

I understand the dormant accounts scheme has already distributed over £362 million for the benefit of good causes. There has been a report on possibly expanding the scheme, which would have the potential to build significantly on the success of the current scheme. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will be looking at this and will respond in due course.

[Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)]

Q10. May I remind the Prime Minister of 2 June 1997, when I heard her make a very confident maiden speech in which she stressed the importance of vocational and practical education for so many young people in our country? Is she aware that there is now a crisis for apprenticeships, with a 62% fall in apprenticeship starts, many excellent independent trainers going out of business and further education colleges in dire financial straits? Will she break a few heads, crack a few eggs and get this sorted?

[The Prime Minister]

We are seeing a growing number of young people going into apprenticeships, we are introducing the T-levels and we are putting £500 million into technical education to ensure that, for the first time, this country has first-class technical education. I called for it in 1997; in 2017, I am delivering.