Purpose

At the request of the Department of Education,
and in support of the devolution of the Adult Skills Fund to Surrey
County Council agreed as part of Surrey’s 2024 county
devolution deal, the Council gives consent for the Surrey County
Council (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2026 to be laid
before Parliament.
 

Content

It was AGREED that:
 
1.Surrey County Council gives consent for the
Surrey County Council (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2026
to be laid before Parliament.
 

Reasons for the decision

Reasons for Decision:
The Regulations, which will be made under
section16 of the Cities and
Local Government Devolution Act 2016, will
transfer adult education functions to Surrey County Council,
allowing the Council to administer the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) from
academic year 2026/27.
 
Please note that the Regulations are still in
draft form and will be subject to further checks as well as
Parliamentary approval. It is possible that the wording may be
altered as a result of these checks, but the purpose of the
Regulations will not change.
 
Following confirmation of the Council’s
consent, approval will be sought from the Secretary of State to lay
the Regulations before Parliament, with the intention to do so in
February 2026. Surrey County Council will receive a final copy of
the legislation around this time.
 

Alternative options considered

The alternative option would have been to not
provide consent for the Surrey County Council (Adult Education
Functions) Regulations 2026, which would have prevented the
transfer of adult education functions to Surrey County Council and,
as a result, the Council from administering the Adult Skills Fund
(ASF) – a key element of the county devolution deal agreed
with the UK Government in 2024 – from academic year
2026/27.