Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the "Baker Clause" in the Technical and Further Education Act 2017.

The Baker Clause requires secondary schools to allow providers of technical education and apprenticeships into school to talk to pupils. In the early months since the duty was introduced in January 2018, we focused on raising awareness in all schools and making it clear what they must do to comply.

A review by officials during the summer term of how schools were implementing the new duty showed a mixed picture. Some providers reported improved relationships with schools but others experienced difficulties accessing pupils.

Since September, we are taking stronger actions. We are working directly with providers and schools to strengthen relationships and address barriers to compliance. We will intervene directly with schools in any serious cases of non-compliance.