Oral Answers to Questions

Rob Wilson Excerpts

Monday 11th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gibb]

The right hon. Gentleman is right to raise these issues. Such actions are crimes and are unacceptable in our society, and the issues that he raises were covered by the Reg Bailey review and will form a part of the review we are asking the committee to consider.

[Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East) (Con)]

11. What assessment he has made of the level of interest in establishing university technical colleges.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Michael Gove)]

My Department has received 37 applications to open university technical colleges.

[Mr Wilson]

The investment in UTCs and technical academies is very welcome and will, I believe, provide a substantial boost to education standards in the areas that will have them. Has my right hon. Friend given any thought to how we can accelerate the UTC programme so that more areas can benefit from this fantastic programme?

[Michael Gove]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who is a champion of high-quality vocational and technical education. The Government are doing more for vocational and technical education than any and that is why I am so pleased that he is heavily involved with the bid to ensure that Reading receives an appropriate technical academy. We are doing everything possible to accelerate consideration of those bids and to support as many as possible and I am grateful for the support of the Chancellor.