Education and Skills Bill

I support the amendment proposed by the noble Baroness, Lady Verma. I also have an amendment on careers advice later in the Bill. What the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, has said is absolutely right; quite apart from what we are debating today, there are now so many different pathways that the need for much more intensive all-embracing careers advice is very definitely there. On the idea of having an independent review, as the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, said, we have five years before these provisions are likely to come into effect. If we had an overview and a hard look at the all-age advice that is already established in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, that would be an additional aid to getting it right for the situations and the additional compulsion that will exist for young people up to the age of 18. This is an excellent idea. The amendment may be in the wrong place, but it is no bad thing if we can have an early look at it.