§ Mrs. Betty WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the objectives he has set for the Learning and Skills Council. [157931]
§ Mr. WicksThe Learning and Skills Council was launched on 28 March and is now operational. It is the most significant and far-reaching reform ever enacted to post-16 learning. The council has a huge agenda, and its priorities include encouraging more young people to stay in learning; increasing demand for learning among adults; and improving the skills of the work force. We also expect the council to drive up standards in teaching and training, and build equality of opportunity into everything it does.