ADULT SKILLS FUNDING IN LEICESTER

That this House is deeply concerned that funding for adult learning has been dramatically cut in Leicester, leading to the closure of the Leicester Open Distance Learning Centre and the Evington Road Centre; notes that the adult skills budget has fallen by over 30 per cent since 2010, and will fall by a further 24 per cent in 2015-16 for many colleges; understands that this will have a serious impact on the ability of education providers, such as Leicester College, to support the necessary number of learners; recognises the importance of adult and community learning to economic growth and providing people with the opportunity to gain skills which can benefit their lives and the lives of their families; and calls on the Government to review its cuts to the adult skills budget, and specifically the cuts in Leicester.