Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that Skills England delivers value for money.

Skills England will bring together key partners to meet the skills needs of the next decade and break down barriers to opportunity. It will play a critical part in the government’s mission to drive growth across the country, supporting people to get better jobs and improve their standard of living. The skills system makes a significant contribution to enhancing productivity, and improvements in effectiveness can deliver major positive economic returns.

Skills England is currently set up in shadow form in the department with plans to be fully established next year in accordance with Cabinet Office and HM Treasury processes, which includes an assessment of value for money. Both in shadow form and when fully established, Skills England will be subject to all necessary assessments and transparency to ensure it provides value for money for the taxpayer.