Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has plans to devolve post-16 skills policy to Mayoral Combined Authorities.

The department is planning to devolve the Adult Education Budget to the Mayoral Combined Authorities in 2019/20, subject to agreement over readiness conditions. This will allow these authorities flexibility to shape adult education provision in order to meet local economic needs.

We are establishing Skills Advisory Panels, in partnership with Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships, to help identify the skills needs and employer demands at a local level. The department have no further plans to devolve post-16 skills policy to Mayoral Combined Authorities.