Issue - meetings

To consider the Combined Authorities (Adult Education Functions) (Amendment) Order 2025.

Wards affected: all

Contact: Chris Duffill, Head of Business and Skills

RESOLVED –

1)    That consent be granted in principle to the Department of Education’s creation of a statutory instrument – the Combined Authorities (Adult Education Functions) (Amendment Order) 2025 conferring additional funding powers for adult education functions to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

2)    That it be noted that the Chief Executive of the Combined Authority, in consultation with the Mayor of the Combined Authority, will finalise and consent to the final draft of the Order and any related changes to existing statutory instruments.

(Under the provision of Council Procedure Rule 36(1), Cabinet received  a representation from Councillor Cooper).

Cabinet received a report which requested that consideration be given to the Combined Authorities (Adult Education Functions) (Amendment) Order 2025 which had been published in draft form by the Department for Education. The report advised that the order proposed the transfer of funding powers from Government to Combined Authorities and Combined County Authorities to enable them to utilise their Adult Skills Fund budgets to fund new technical qualifications developed by 2024 by the Institute for Apprenticeships and technical Education, and that the consent of each of the constituent local authorities forming the West Yorkshire Combined Authority was required to make the Order.

Cabinet noted that the agreement would ensure that adult learners in Kirklees were able to access the full range of new technical qualifications developed by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education from the start of the 2025/2026 academic year, and would enable the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to draw down funding from the Adult Skills Fund to support these qualifications.

It was noted that formal consent was required from each of the West Yorkshire Combined Authorities to enable the Order to be ratified, finalised and enacted before the parliamentary recess to ensure that the delivery of new qualifications could commence at the start of the 2025/2026 academic year.

RESOLVED –

1)    That consent be granted in principle to the Department of Education’s creation of a statutory instrument – the Combined Authorities (Adult Education Functions) (Amendment Order) 2025 conferring additional funding powers for adult education functions to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

2)    That it be noted that the Chief Executive of the Combined Authority, in consultation with the Mayor of the Combined Authority, will finalise and consent to the final draft of the Order and any related changes to existing statutory instruments.