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26 April 2026

Tag: Education Select Committee

Careers and Enterprise Company slammed for multimillion-pound research spending

The Careers and Enterprise Company has been heavily criticised for spending almost £1 million on research and not on frontline guidance for learners. During a bruising appearance before the Commons education select committee, where CEC was called an “overbloated quango”, its chair Christine Hodgson admitted that £900,000 had been spent on research since it was […]

MPs’ inquiry will look into long-term planning for FE

The Commons education committee will investigate long-term education investment – especially whether colleges and schools are getting the money they need. The influential group of MPs has launched an inquiry into whether a longer-term plan is needed for investment across education, including FE, and what resources are really needed. MPs will look ahead to the […]

Milton appears to back subcontractor inspections

The skills minister has appeared to agree that Ofsted should inspect subcontractors during an exchange at education questions in the House of Commons today. Anne Milton seemed to echo the beliefs of her predecessor Robert Halfon when he asked her about subcontracting in Parliament. Mr Halfon, now the chair of the influential education select committee, […]

Ofsted boss worried about lack of subcontracting inspections

The head of Ofsted has acknowledged MPs’ concerns about how few subcontractors used by FE providers are inspected. Speaking at a meeting of the education select committee today, Amanda Spielman accepted that she had a “number of concerns” about apprenticeship provision, and wanted to ensure that “cowboys”, “sharks” and “bottom feeders” do not take advantage […]

Education select committee to investigate subcontracting

The Commons education select committee will investigate subcontracting, and Learndirect is expected to feature prominently. The committee, now chaired by former apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon, met for the first time since the recent general election on September 12. Mr Halfon confirmed that it will place heavy scrutiny on FE. “We have agreed to […]

FE champion Halfon elected chair of education select committee

The former apprenticeships and skills minister and FE champion Robert Halfon has stepped back into the education limelight, by winning an election to become the new chair of the education select committee. He received the largest number of the votes in the final round of voting which took place tonight. Mr Halfon was sensationally sacked […]

FE Commissioner backs widening of area reviews

A post-16 review of sixth forms outside of the FE sector would be “very helpful”, the FE Commissioner has told the Education Select Committee. Sir David Collins spoke out on the issue this morning, during a special evidence session for the committee’s enquiry in to ongoing area reviews of post-16 education, which currently do not […]