Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts
Thursday 5th December 2013

(10 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Willetts Portrait Mr Willetts
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I certainly agree that we need to encourage engineering in schools. “Engineer” is not a restricted term, but we support professional titles such as “chartered engineer” or “engineering technician”, which are regulated, and we aim to register 100,000 apprenticeships with EngTech status by 2018.

Lilian Greenwood Portrait Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab)
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Does the Minister agree that investing in fundamental research is vital to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers and to create conditions for the serendipitous discoveries of the future?

Lord Willetts Portrait Mr Willetts
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I completely agree with the hon. Lady, which is why the Government support fundamental research. Only last week I went to the launch of £250 million of public money for centres of doctoral training run by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.