Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 24002, on further education, how many steering group meetings of area reviews of post-16 education and training in (a) Birmingham and Solihull, (b) Greater Manchester, (c) Sheffield City Region, (d) Tees Valley, (e) Sussex, (f) Solent and (g) West Yorkshire took place without representatives of the (i) regional schools commissioner and (ii) local enterprise partnership being present in each of the last six months.

There are a range of ways in which Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) and members of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) can contribute to area reviews, for instance through the National Area Review Advisory Group.

It is expected that there will be at least five steering group meetings in each review. To date all Wave 1 Area Reviews have held a number of local steering group meetings and RSCs and LEPs are members. They or their representatives have attended the majority of these meetings.

In Birmingham and Solihull, one meeting in December 2015 took place without an RSC representative present.

In Greater Manchester, one meeting in November 2015 took place without an RSC representative present and one meeting in December 2015 took place without either an RSC or LEP representative present.

In Sheffield City Region, one meeting in December 2015 took place without an RSC representative present.

In Tees Valley, all meetings have taken place with a RSC or LEP representative present.

In Sussex, one meeting in February 2016 took place without an RSC representative present.

In the Solent, one meeting in November 2015 and one meeting in January 2016 took place without an RSC representative present.

In West Yorkshire, one meeting in November 2015, one meeting in December 2015 and one meeting in January 2016 took place without an RSC representative present.

Both a RSC and LEP representative have been present at all other steering group meetings of the Wave 1 area reviews.