1st Report, 2008 (Session 3)

Report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Education and Skills Bill - LCM (S3) 6.1

Remit and membership

Remit:

To consider and report on (a) further and higher education, lifelong learning, schools, pre-school care, skills and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning; and (b) matters relating to culture and the arts falling within the responsibility of the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture.

Membership:

Karen Whitefield (Convener)
Aileen Campbell
Rob Gibson (Deputy Convener)
Kenneth Macintosh
Christina McKelvie
Mary Mulligan
Jeremy Purvis
Elizabeth Smith

Committee Clerking Team:

Clerk to the Committee
Eugene Windsor

Senior Assistant Clerk
Nick Hawthorne

Assistant Clerk
Andrew Proudfoot

Report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Education and Skills Bill - LCM (S3) 6.1

The Committee reports to the Parliament as follows—

Introduction

1. The Education and Skills Bill is currently under consideration in the UK Parliament. It was introduced in the House of Commons on 28 November 2007. In accordance with Standing Orders Rule 9B.3.1(a), a legislative consent memorandum (LCM) in relation to the Bill was lodged by the Scottish Government on 3 December 2007. The memorandum can be found at this link—

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/legConMem/LCM-2007-2008/educationskills.htm

2. As explained in the memorandum, the main purpose of the Bill is to raise the age at which a young person can leave education or training to 18. The Bill also contains provision to implement the Leitch Review of Skills in England. The main purpose of the Bill and the Leitch provisions of the Bill are not applicable in Scotland.

3. However, part of the Bill relates to sharing data for research purposes between the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DSCF). This will allow further education data to be matched to data on benefits, employment and earnings, enabling analysis of labour market outcomes of those with further education qualifications, which cannot be carried out at present.

4. Scottish Ministers wish to take the opportunity of this legislation to allow for similar research to be undertaken in relation to Scotland. The Welsh Assembly Government is proposing to do the same.

Committee consideration

5. At its meeting on 23 January 2008 the Committee took evidence on the LCM from—

Maureen Watt MSP, Minister for Schools and Skills, Rachel Sunderland, Team Leader, Schools Directorate, Qualifications Assessment and Skills, and David McPhee, Statistician, Enterprise, Energy and Lifelong Learning Analytical Services, Scottish Government.

Merits of the policy

6. The Committee agreed that the sharing of data as outlined in the LCM would be both helpful and beneficial in analysing further education issues in Scotland.

Use of LCM mechanism

7. The Committee agreed that the Scottish Government was justified in using the LCM mechanism in this instance.

Terms of the draft motion

8. The Committee is content with the terms of the draft motion.

Recommendation to Parliament

9. The Committee recommends to the Parliament that the legislative consent motion on the Education and Skills Bill be approved.