Technical and Further Education Act 2017

Key Points

• Tougher governance: FE bodies must meet higher standards for officers, with provisions applying to FE bodies similarly to companies.
• Insolvency oversight: new powers allow records related to FE bodies’ insolvency to be shared with the registrar of companies to safeguard public funds.
• Information sharing: the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education can disclose information to relevant people to support its regulatory and accountability functions.
• Access to information in schools: a new clause requires schools to inform pupils about technical education options and pathways.
• Careers guidance focus: Ofsted must factor the quality of careers guidance at further education colleges into inspections and ratings.

Progress

The bill moved through both Houses in 2016–2017, with many amendments agreed in the Lords and later considered in the Commons, and it received Royal Assent on 27 April 2017, becoming law.

Voting

Three recorded votes during the bill’s passage show differing outcomes. In the Lords, a motion to disagree with a Lords amendment passed 298 Aye to 182 No. In the Commons, amendments proposed at Report Stage were defeated by large margins (for example 183 Aye to 278 No for one amendment and 186 Aye to 274 No for another), while several proposed provisions from the Lords were accepted or retained in the final Act depending on the stage. Overall, the core reforms were carried, with opposition mainly focused on additional safeguards and funding proposals.