HC Deb 20 March 1984 vol 56 cc900-2
10. Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what retraining programmes and official assistance is available to unemployed people between 40 and 50 years of age.

Mr. Peter Morrison

The Government support the retraining of unemployed people, including those between 40 and 50 years of age, through the training opportunities scheme. Trainees are paid a weekly allowance and help may also be given with travelling expenses and lodging costs.

Mr. Bennett

Does the Minister appreciate how demoralising it is when people in that age group are out of work for 12 months or more and how difficult it is for them to get training opportunities? Does he accept that one of the best opportunities was provided by the skillcentres? Why are the Government under-using the skillcentres and not encouraging people in that age group to go to them, where they may receive sympathetic treatment, which helps them to regain their self-confidence and become more able to contribute as much as others to the labour market?

Mr. Morrison

I assure the hon. Gentleman that in retraining there is no bar on people in the 40 to 50-year-old age bracket. I entirely accept his point that the transition from an erstwhile skill to a new skill is important. With regard to the skillcentres, the hon. Gentleman must understand that we are getting value for money, which means that more money is available in the long term to train more people.

Mr. Hickmet

May I remind my hon. Friend that in Scunthorpe, in my constituency, 11,000 men have been made redundant since 1981, and that the incentive for the new industries that we wish to come into the constituency depends upon specific training programmes under the Manpower Services Commission being marketed to them? I ask my hon. Friend to consider the possibility of a specific training programme being set up in Scunthorpe so that the town can be made more attractive to certain industries.

Mr. Morrison

I appreciate what my hon. Friend says. I assure him that the aim behind the new adult training strategy that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has agreed with the MSC is for specific training relevant to the future.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

Why did the Government cut the community programme, with its retraining element? Surely that was a senseless and irresponsible act. Is the Minister aware that in the county of Cumbria our places on the programme have been reduced from 1,700 to 900 over a period of only 18 months, with a loss of 700 jobs? Is it not utterly irresponsible for the Government to put people on the dole in this way? Will the Secretary of State restore the figures for Cumbria, because we want our community programme places back?

Mr. Morrison

The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that after the community enterprise programme, with 30,000 places, the community programme, with 130,000 places, was introduced. That is no cut—it is a fourfold-plus increase.

Mr. Greenway

Will my hon. Friend consider changing his policy and fund 40 to 50-year-olds on courses at skillcentres 100 per cent.? That would help the Perivale skillcentre, for example, very much.

Mr. Morrison

My hon. Friend will be aware that every trainee at a skillcentre receives an allowance, so all the trainees are funded. Of course, the training is given to them free of charge.

Mr. Sheerman

Will the Minister offer some hope to the large number of people between the ages of 40 to 50? Is he aware that there is potential in the Open University to experiment with courses for the unemployed and for the long-term unemployed? Is he further aware that the Open Tech is in danger of having to invent the wheel again because there is no proper communication between the Open University, with its resources, and the Open Tech? Does he realise that money may be wasted by the way in which these courses are being rapidly expanded to help retrain that age group?

Mr. Morrison

The hon. Gentleman does not quite understand what the Government are doing. As a result of the adult training strategy the numbers who are receiving training in the 40 to 50 year age group will be substantially increased. The Open Tech programme was launched by my right hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Prior) when he was Secretary of State for Employment. I should have thought that the hon. Gentleman would commend that initiative, not deride it.