Oral Answers to Questions

Mike Amesbury Excerpts

Monday 11th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Justine Greening]

Obviously the School Teachers’ Review Body will be getting its remit letter shortly, but what I have tried to set out is a much broader strategy for teaching as a profession, and not just in relation to financial incentives and making sure that they are in the places where we particularly want teachers to teach. Later this week, we will issue our consultation on strengthening qualified teacher status, which I hope will be welcomed. Of course, we are working hard to remove unnecessary workload. Earlier this year, I held a flexible working summit with the professions and unions to talk about how we can make sure that teachers stay in the profession.

[Mike Amesbury (Weaver Vale) (Lab)]

11. What progress her Department has made on meeting its 2020 target for quality apprenticeship starts.

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

12. What progress her Department has made on meeting its 2020 target for quality apprenticeship starts.

[Mike Amesbury]

Given that average monthly apprenticeship starts are 17% lower than they need to be to hit the Government’s 2020 target, does the Minister agree that local leaders and businesses are better equipped to meet that target than the Conservative Government?

[Anne Milton]

If he talks to employers, the hon. Gentleman will find that it is only because of the reforms we have introduced, which have allowed employers to be at the very heart of the process, that we have made the progress we have. Numerous Governments have attempted to do something about apprenticeships, but it is only now that we are seeing real change.