Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts
Monday 1st November 2021

(3 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nadhim Zahawi Portrait Nadhim Zahawi
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I certainly share my right hon. Friend’s priorities and ambition. More importantly, if we can make this work, it truly is scalable and can be a model for other parts of the country in our levelling-up agenda.

Wera Hobhouse Portrait Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)
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I, too, welcome the new Secretary of State to his role. The Protect Student Choice campaign warns that many students might struggle to enrol on so large an occupation-specific qualification as T-levels at the age of 16. By withdrawing funding from BTECs, how will the Secretary of State guarantee student choice?

Nadhim Zahawi Portrait Nadhim Zahawi
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I thank the hon. Lady for her question. I want to just squash that misrepresentation: we are not withdrawing funding from BTECs. BTECs that are of high quality and are valued will continue, but it is only right that we look at the landscape and see where quality lies and how we can increase the ladders of opportunity, not take them away from people.