Oral Answers to Questions

Robert Goodwill Excerpts

Monday 17th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[Nick Gibb]

I must say, it is rich for Opposition Members to criticise the reduction in modern foreign language teaching. It was their Government—the Labour Government, in 2004—who downgraded the importance of foreign languages, and we are trying to reverse that. We have increased the proportion of young people studying a foreign language from 40% in 2010 to 46% this year, and we want to go further.

[Mr Robert Goodwill (Scarborough and Whitby) (Con)]

11. What progress his Department has made on strengthening the social work profession.

[Alex Burghart (Brentwood and Ongar) (Con)]

12. What progress his Department has made on strengthening the social work profession.

[Mr Goodwill]

The independent regulator will help to raise still further the already high standards of practice in social work. Does the Minister agree that social workers who achieve accreditation status should also earn the right to put some initials after their names—for example, ASW, standing for “accredited social worker”?

[Nadhim Zahawi]

My right hon. Friend is right to point out that the national assessment and accreditation system is a critical means of embedding high standards in the social work profession. We are currently in phase 1, and more than 100 social workers have been accredited so far. We will be considering questions like my right hon. Friend’s during the national roll-out.