Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Neil Carmichael Excerpts
Thursday 20th December 2012

(11 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Willetts Portrait Mr Willetts
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We do not recognise that description of what is going on. We have very enterprising universities, including Bolton, that are thriving as more students get their first choice of university than ever before. And, of course, there is no cap on the number of overseas students legitimately entitled to enter the country to study.

Neil Carmichael Portrait Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con)
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In my constituency, we have a thriving manufacturing sector, but one area of concern I have is the availability of skills, especially in engineering. Does the Minister agree that we need to redouble our efforts on science, technology, engineering and maths—the STEM subjects—at school to ensure that we have a good pool of skills in that sector?

Matt Hancock Portrait Matthew Hancock
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It is critical that we turn around engineering to ensure that we have the engineering skills necessary to compete in the future. In Stroud and across the country, there are shortages of engineering skills, and this Government are addressing it.