Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 102 of the Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth White Paper, published in January 2021, when he plans to introduce the three-point-plan to enforce the Baker Clause.

The Baker Clause was introduced in January 2018 to ensure that pupils in years 8-13 have opportunities to meet providers of technical education and apprenticeships.

The department will consult this spring on proposals to strengthen the legislation and confirm timescales for implementation at that point. Subject to the outcome of this consultation, we plan to establish a new minimum legal requirement about who is to be given access to which pupils and when and will lay regulations and publish updated statutory guidance, so that schools can prepare ahead of the legal changes coming into force. This is part of a three-point-plan and will be introduced alongside taking tougher formal action against non-compliance and making government-funded careers support for schools conditional on Baker Clause compliance.

We are determined to take action so that all young people can learn about the exciting, high-quality opportunities that technical education and apprenticeships can offer.