Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to launch a consultation on introducing new accountability structures underpinning the delivery of local skills improvement plans, and related matters; and when they plan to launch this consultation.

In the Skills for Jobs white paper, we set out our vision to transform further education. We want people to get the advanced technical and higher technical skills they need to get good jobs. Colleges’ place at the centre of their local communities and economies means that they are key to unlocking opportunities across the country and to building back better.

As a key step to deliver our vision, we will consult on a new funding and accountability system for further education. The consultation will address the underlying system of complex funding for adult skills and limited focus on outcomes through proposals to reform adult skills funding and the wider accountability regime for colleges and other grant funded providers. It will describe how Local Skills Improvement Plans fit into this wider funding and accountability landscape. We expect to publish the consultation in the coming months.