Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what oversight and regulation is in place for private adult skills education providers in England.

The department oversees independent training providers that receive government funding through funding agreements and contracts. This oversight is proportionate and risk-based, and considers financial resilience, governance, quality of provision, safeguarding and learner protection.

The department monitors providers using a range of information, including funding data, financial information, audit activity, complaints, whistleblowing reports and inspection outcomes. Where concerns arise, the department can use contractual powers to impose additional conditions, restrict new learner recruitment, withhold funding or terminate agreements.

Funded providers must comply with relevant funding rules and financial management requirements and, where applicable, are subject to Ofsted inspection.

Responsibility for the Adult Skills Fund is devolved in parts of England, where mayoral combined authorities and the Greater London Authority oversee providers receiving that funding. Elsewhere, departmental oversight arrangements apply.

Private adult skills providers that do not receive government funding are not subject to these contractual controls but must comply with relevant legal and regulatory requirements.