65.Section 19and Schedule 2 provide for the establishment of local learning and skills councils for each area specified by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State has already announced that he is specifying 47 such local areas. His intentions, and the boundaries of those areas, are set out in the LSC Prospectus. Section 20 provides that the local LSC’s duties and powers will be those of the national LSC which it chooses to delegate. It also provides for local LSCs to perform duties and exercise functions outside their local area. This may be necessary, for example, to allow a single local LSC to contract with and fund a learning provider operating throughout England, or fund an institution which attracts students from outside its local area.
66.The Secretary of State has set out in the LSC Prospectus those activities which he expects the local LSCs to engage in. They include:
	planning to meet the National Learning Targets locally;
	ensuring that all local young people, including those with disabilities and learning difficulties, have access to learning of high quality to meet their individual needs;
	encouraging adults to engage in learning;
	identifying and meeting local needs;
	working to improve the quality of local provision;
	promoting excellence, widening participation and promoting equal opportunities;
	deploying locally-managed development budgets to meet learning, skills and workforce development needs and using discretionary expenditure to provide support for activities such as:workforce development;adult and community learning;education-business links;promoting equality of opportunity in learning and information;information, advice and guidance to adults on learning opportunities.
67.Schedule 2 makes provision about members and staff of local LSCs, and about delegation of functions.
Commentary on Sections Sections 1 to 29 and Schedules 1 to 3 Sections 19 and 20 and Schedule 2: local councils