Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nick Boles and Gareth Johnson

Monday 7th March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Gareth Johnson (Dartford) (Con)]

7. What progress the Government are making on supporting the establishment of university technical colleges.

[The Minister for Skills (Nick Boles)]

With 59 university technical colleges open or in development, we are well on the way to meeting our manifesto commitment of opening a UTC within reach of every city.

[Gareth Johnson]

Will the Minister join me in welcoming the excellent work being carried out by the Leigh UTC in my constituency? UTCs play an increasingly vital role in ensuring that we have the engineering and scientific skills that are needed in the workplace. Will he do all that he can to ensure that the Leigh UTC is allowed to flourish?

[Nick Boles]

Yes, and I thank my hon. Friend for all the work that he is doing with the Leigh UTC. It is a particularly good example, not least because it is part of a very successful multi-academy trust, and that is a situation that we want replicated across the university technical college movement, because UTCs are stronger inside multi-academy trusts.