FURTHER EDUCATION CAPITAL PROGRAMME

That this House notes the report by Sir Andrew Foster on the Capital Programme in Further Education, and in particular the finding that the Learning and Skills Council was warned in February 2008 of mounting financial pressures and that the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was insufficiently incisive to uncover ongoing flaws in implementation of capital expenditure decisions; endorses recommendation six of the report, that HM Treasury should recognise the importance of skills development in the context of national economic recovery; and believes that investment in further education colleges now will secure jobs in the construction industry and bring long-term advantage to the economy through skills development.