My right honourable friend the Secretary of State announced last month at the CBI conference that we shall be developing a national skills agenda in order to deal with such shortages which are very damaging to our economy and to economic growth. We are setting up a skills task force and a skills unit in my department. The aim will be to try to reach a consensus around our key skill needs and to set out broad areas where skills need to be developed. Of course, we must also ensure that the education and training systems are responsive to the longer-term skills needs of the economy. We are trying to address that.
Employers therefore have a key part to play.
We will be monitoring the performance of NVQs. We are also trying to cut out some NVQs which clearly have not been performing because of the small number of people who have taken them up. It should include mathematics, literacy and foreign language learning. My Lords, NVQs cover a vast range of possible areas, including many non-manual occupations. It is important that we develop good vocational qualifications right across our occupational system.