Roz, I work in adult education and the problem is that provision has already been severely cut, long before the current government's proposals. It was going on under the previous government because - some might argue quite rightly - funds were largely being diverted into E to E (education to employment) schemes for the 14 to 19s. Consequently many courses have already been closed and subsidies drastically reduced.

I have first-hand experience of the vital role adult education services provide and I know that education is more than just about employment. The government would like to reduce education to a set of functional skills which in no way addresses the wide needs of adult learners.

I take your point that children's services are important but adult education has ALREADY taken a series of massive hits. It has always been treated as the poor relation in education and has always been underfunded.