§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans her Department has to introduce learning credits for post 16-year-olds; when it intends to implement them; and what funding mechanism it intends to use. [6960]
§ Mr. PaiceThe Government remain attracted in principle to the idea of learning credits for all 16 to 19-year-olds but recognise that their introduction would have significant practical implications. Comments have been invited on the Coopers and Lybrand study of learning credits which has published alongside the second Competitiveness White Paper, "Forging Ahead", in May.
We are now considering how best to develop the idea of learning credits further in the context of the Department's wider programme, set out in the White Paper, to improve education and training for 16 to 19-year-olds.