Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Ben Everitt

Tuesday 9th March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Ben Everitt (Milton Keynes North) (Con)]

  Treasury Ministers are no doubt aware of my support for a brand-new university for Milton Keynes, focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics and digital skills, so vital for our future economy. I wonder, though, whether they are aware that we are already home to the Open University, which is a pioneer of modular learning and is upskilling and reskilling—important for our future economy. The Budget last week announced support for further education and skills. Will that apply to institutions like the Open University?

[Kemi Badenoch]

We are committed to improving skills in the economy and levelling up productivity across England. That will be achieved through our lifetime skills guarantee and further reforms, which will create jobs and opportunity across the country, supporting us to build back better from the coronavirus pandemic. We will provide further detail and a full conclusion to the review of post-18 education and funding at the next comprehensive spending review. I thank my hon. Friend and the Open University for their engagement on this so far.