Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords]

Debate between Edward Morello and Pam Cox

Report stage
Monday 31st March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Pam Cox]

I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention, and I agree. This morning, before I travelled to Westminster from Colchester, I visited JTL, a national organisation with a base in our city that trains thousands of apprentice electricians and plumbers, and I had similar exchanges with them. So I very much agree, because the urgency I have mentioned is about their futures—securing their futures.

We debated this in some detail in Committee, and the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire has outlined the Minister’s responses. To my mind, those responses stand. I am satisfied that we should not delay in setting up Skills England, because the young people of Colchester—and, indeed, of Derby and elsewhere —simply do not have the time to wait.

On that note, last week the Government announced plans to train 60,000 new construction workers to help build the 1.5 million homes we will see going up in the course of this Parliament. Moves such as that and many others show that we are working at pace to reverse the many years of stagnation—

[Edward Morello (West Dorset) (LD)]

Will the hon. Lady give way?

[Pam Cox]

I will not give way, if the hon. Member does not mind.

I hope we can work at pace today to pass this Bill.

[Edward Morello]

rose—