• Question by: Bassam Mahfouz
• Meeting date: 05 December 2024

Len Duvall AM (Deputy Chair in the Chair): Right. Our final speaker of this session before we adjourn is Assembly Member Mahfouz. Bassam Mahfouz AM: Thank you, Chair, and thank you. I am just going to focus on community learning, and we know that classes like ESOL and basic skills are a really critical element of providing Londoners with a foundation to be able to achieve their full potential. My own mum’s story was that she was a teacher when she arrived in the UK but did not speak any English. She obviously trained up and got her English and...

• Question by: Krupesh Hirani
• Meeting date: 05 December 2024

Len Duvall AM (Deputy Chair in the Chair): Thank you very much. Let us move onto Assembly Member Krupesh Hirani. Krupesh Hirani AM: Thank you, Chair. Just on the topic of academies and one of those that was set up was on health and social care. Richard, maybe I will turn to you and others if you want to come in, can you provide an update on their progress?

• Question by: Zack Polanski
• Meeting date: 05 December 2024

Len Duvall AM (Deputy Chair in the Chair): OK. Let us move on. Assembly Member Polanski. Zack Polanski AM: Thank you, Chair. First of all, I wanted to echo what Assembly Member Cooper said earlier. I thought it was articulated really well. I might go even further. I did not know about the huge shortage in conservationists and ecologists - although I am not surprised to hear those numbers - but the idea we have to wait for the private market of a demand when we are in an ecological emergency is the exact problem if you relate it to...

• Question by: James Small-Edwards
• Meeting date: 05 December 2024

Len Duvall AM (Deputy Chair in the Chair): OK. We are going to have to leave that question there. The Conservatives are out of time. We are now moving to Assembly Member Small-Edwards. James Small-Edwards AM: Thank you, Chair. My question is to Ann-Marie and Ayo. I just wondered whether you could please speak a bit about the sources of funding for the ASF, the Skills Bootcamp and Skills Academy and specifically what changes are expected in these funding streams?

• Question by: Neil Garratt
• Meeting date: 05 December 2024

Len Duvall AM (Deputy Chair in the Chair): OK. Let us move on. Assembly Member Garratt. Neil Garratt AM: Afternoon. I would like to talk about fraud if I can, Richard. You will be aware that at the Audit Panel we have had two examples of fraud in this area, one where we had a college that had been taken off the permitted list which then attempted to backdate student registrations. We also had an example of dodgy subcontracting where the rake-off was passed down. Ultimately, by the time it got to students, there was not enough left to educate...

• Question by: Leonie Cooper
• Meeting date: 05 December 2024

Len Duvall AM: Equally, stop. All r ight. OK. Can we then move on to Assembly Member Cooper? Léonie Cooper AM: Thank you, Chair. Good morning, guests. I wonder if I could start with Ann-Marie and Ayo. I want to come back to the points which originally Assembly Member Polanski started talking about, green skills, and Assembly Member Mahfouz also talked about construction. I want to talk about a slightly different area of green skills. I have been undertaking some research recently with experts across construction, planning and conservation in various industries, including talking to people employed by the G15...

• Question by: Emma Best
• Meeting date: 05 December 2024

Len Duvall AM (Deputy Chair in the Chair): Assembly Member Best. Emma Best AM: Thank you, Chair. Good morning, panel. I want to pick up an issue. It was the last meeting of this that I was asking the same questions on. That is how the AEB is really targeting the socioeconomic needs of London and looking to get participants that would benefit when we look at the wider education levels of London.

• Question by: Joanne McCartney
• Meeting date: 05 December 2024

Len Duvall AM (Deputy Chair in the Chair): Assembly Member McCartney. Joanne McCartney AM: Thank you. My question is to Richard. You set out earlier that the ASF is with the GLA via delegation, not devolution, and you have highlighted that you would like it to be devolved because that would give you more flexibility and more control. Can I ask what other aspects of skills and education in London do you think should and could be devolved to the GLA and how would Londoners benefit?

• Question by: Susan Hall
• Meeting date: 05 December 2024

Len Duvall AM (Deputy Chair in the Chair): Assembly Member Hall. Susan Hall AM: Thank you. Good morning. First of all, I will ask Ann-Marie and see if you know. Aidan Relf in the first section talked about lack of transparency with the GLA and its providers regarding the contracts. Can you enlighten us as to why they are not accessible and why we cannot see them or, if they are there, where are they that we can all look at them?

• Question by: Bassam Mahfouz
• Meeting date: 05 December 2024

Len Duvall AM (Deputy Chair in the Chair): Thank you very much. Assembly Member Mahfouz. Bassam Mahfouz AM: Thank you, Chair, and thank you for your answers so far. I am just going to go back to that point about construction that was raised earlier. Ann-Marie, you have talked about the Mayor’s Skills Academies and, as we understand it, we have already seen thousands of Londoners trained in construction, including over 13,000 in green construction this year. You have talked about the work with the G14, which is incredibly important, of course, in terms of developing homes and that significant...