Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Nigel Adams Excerpts
Thursday 24th May 2012

(12 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Willetts Portrait Mr Willetts
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I have just written to the Office for Fair Access and HEFCE to ask them to assess the effectiveness of the very large amount of money that is now used for that purpose through the widening participation premium and universities’ access funding. We fully recognise that the different strands of money have different purposes, and that some of it is there to meet universities’ particular needs through WPP funding.

Nigel Adams Portrait Nigel Adams (Selby and Ainsty) (Con)
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As someone who benefited from a similar scheme in the 1990s, may I ask the Minister to update the House on the progress of the new enterprise allowance scheme? Will he ensure that it is yet another flagship programme, like the new apprenticeship schemes?

Mark Prisk Portrait Mr Prisk
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I am happy to assure my hon. Friend that the scheme is a great way of ensuring that we provide microfinance and experienced business advice. That is what the allowance is specifically designed to do. We have examined past models that have worked, and this one will help thousands of unemployed people become self-employed people.