Purpose

The Council has been asked to give consent to
the Department for Education to lay the Combined Authorities (Adult
Education Functions) (Amendment) Order 2025 before Parliament. The
Order, subject to Parliament’s approval, will confer an
additional funding power for adult education functions on all
existing combined authorities with adult education functions. It
will enable combined authorities to administer their Adult Skills
Fund to fund new technical qualifications from academic year
2025/26. The consent of the combined authority and each of its
constituent councils is required before the Order can be
made.

Decision

To give the Authority’s consent to the
Department for Education to lay the Combined Authorities (Adult
Education Functions) (Amendment) Order 2025 before
Parliament.

Failure to give consent would prevent the combined authority from
being able to fund new, high quality, technical qualifications
alongside the others already available to them.