Joint Advisory Council for Qualifications

Mr. Laws
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what the remit of the Joint Advisory Council for Qualifications will be; and if he will make a statement;

(2) whom he expects to appoint as the (a) chair and (b) chief executive of the Joint Advisory Council for Qualifications; and if he will make a statement;

(3) when he expects the Joint Advisory Council for Qualifications to be in operation; and if he will make a statement;

(4) where the Joint Advisory Council for Qualifications will be based; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight
The remit of the Joint Advisory Committee for Qualifications Approval (JACQA) is to give advice to the Secretary of State on which 14-19 qualifications should be publicly funded, in line with the policy set out in the 14-19 qualifications strategy, which we published in March this year. We will publish a formal remit for the Committee in advance of its first meeting, which we expect to take place in December this year.

The Committee will be co-chaired by and jointly responsible to the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). These organisations will also provide a joint secretariat to the Committee. The secretariat is currently considering the logistical arrangements for the Committee's inaugural meeting. The Committee will not exist on a statutory basis, and will not have any executive or decision-making powers. It will therefore not have a chief executive officer.