HC Deb 27 February 1973 vol 851 cc1263-4
7. Miss Joan Hall

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he can now say when he expects to publish the Employment and Training Bill.

11. Mr. Sutcliffe

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he plans to introduce legislation to implement Government proposals on training.

44. Mr. Dempsey

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he can now give an approximate date when he expects to publish the Employment and Training Bill.

Mr. Maurice Macmillan

The Bill will be presented this week.

Miss Hall

I am delighted to hear that. The consultative document was published a long time ago and the situation has become embarrassing to a number of us who are involved in training. I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for getting rid of the embarrassment.

Mr. Macmillan

I apologise for having embarrassed my hon. Friend and I am glad to be able to relieve her of her embarrassment.

Mr. Marks

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the considerable concern in the youth employment service at the delay in introducing the Bill? Will responsibility for youth employment be with local education authorities or with the Government, and what implications will the Bill have on the Bill dealing with local government finance? Who will pay?

Mr. Macmillan

I ask the hon. Gentleman to await the White Paper or other explanatory document which it is intended to publish at about the same time as the Bill and which will explain how the youth employment service is to be treated. The object is to allow young people to retain the facility of using the full employment services while maintaining the local authority special services for young people and school leavers.

Mr. Sutcliffe

Will my right hon. Friend say in advance whether the object of the Bill is to provide more adequate training courses for school leavers than the present skills appreciation courses which are inadequate to their needs?

Mr. Macmillan

This will become clearer on publication of the Bill. The basic purpose of the Bill is to set up a Manpower Services Commission to operate the training services agency and in due course the employment services agency. It is primarily a Bill to deal not with the levels of training but rather with the methods.

Mr. Dempsey

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the delay in presenting the Bill has created a regrettable element of uncertainty for the future of those training establishments? Does he realise that it has not been possible to plan instructions, especially for first-year apprentices? Will the right hon. Gentleman give the matter urgent attention in the legislative programme ahead?

Mr. Macmillan

I am aware that there have been uncertainties in some areas as a result of the length of time required for consultations in trying to prepare the Bill. It is a fairly considerable departure. A new effort is being made, with the help, advice and approval of both sides of industry, to set up a manpower services commission representative of industry to control the training services agency and the employment services agency. It is not a minor measure. It has been necessary to think it right through to the end before proceeding with it.