News story

23rd July 2004

Minister Offers "Crumb of Comfort" to Local MP Over Filton College Course Cuts

Responding this week to a debate initiated by local MP Steve Webb, Government education minister Ivan Lewis has offered some limited comfort to students on an IT course threatened with closure by Filton College. Earlier this month, Filton College announced that its "IT outreach course", run at Bradley Stoke and other sites around Bristol would be closed to new students immediately and that current students would have only until Christmas to complete their studies. The course was valued particularly by older students and by disabled people because of its flexibility and because staff had time to give learners individual attention.

Although course numbers were down on last year, nearly 1000 local people were still benefiting from the course at Bradley Stoke alone, and many contacted Northavon MP Steve Webb when they heard of the closure. The MP immediately wrote to the principal of Filton College, Kevin Hamblin, to register his opposition to the closure, and secured a debate at Westminster to pursue the issue. In opening the debate, the MP quoted from large numbers of local residents who had been in touch to say how much they valued the course. He also quoted from government policy papers which stressed the important of "lifelong" learning and the needs of older students. He urged the minister to take a personal interest in what had happened at Filton.

Responding, the Minister reaffirmed the government's priority areas of teenagers, basic skills, and workplace learning, but said that there was also money available for "learning for leisure". Challenged by Steve Webb, the minister said:

"The personal interest I will take is that...if alternatives are not available to the individuals concerned, I will want to know about it. I cannot guarantee that every individual will be fixed up with a bespoke, on-your-doorstep service, but I am anxious that as many of them as possible continue to have the opportunity to access ICT courses within a reasonable distance of where they live".

Speaking after the debate, Steve Webb said:

"I welcome the Minister's response as far as it went. I am not convinced that the alternatives available to the students who have contacted me will meet their needs anywhere near as well as the current course. I will therefore be pleased to hear from any of my constituent who cannot find an adequate alternative once the existing course ends, and I will certainly take up their cases with the Minister".

Click here to read Steve Webb's debate on the IT Course at Filton College