§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what changes he has made to the fee structure for Level 2 courses in further education; and what steps he is taking to ensure the maintenance of employer contributions to those courses. [171422]
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§ Alan JohnsonNo changes have yet been made to the fee structure for Level 2 courses in further education institutions. From September this year we will be trialling, in the North East and South East regions, a new entitlement enabling adults in the labour force without a full level 2 qualification to have access to free tuition for their first full level 2 qualification. Where a learner is taking a publicly available course in further education through this entitlement there will be no tuition fee cost to the learner or their employer. We will continue to expect colleges to collect fees from employers for customised provision. From September the Learning and Skills Council's funding assumption that for dedicated provision employers pay above the standard fee assumption for individual learners will be abolished. As outlined in our White Paper '21st Century Skills—Realising Our Potential' we will consult the sector later this year on changes to the fees framework from 2005–06.