§ 7. Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the number of employers providing training in Great Britain.
§ Mr. HowardThe latest survey carried out by my Department shows that more than 200,000 employers provided training for their employees in the year 1986–87. 129 That was 80 per cent. of the total. The survey excluded firms with fewer than 10 employees, agriculture and the armed services.
§ Mr. ClarkeWhat exactly does the Minister intend to do about the one in five of Britain's employers who make no contribution to training needs and who are happy to poach on other people's efforts? Is there no strategy for training in Britain? Is that why we are doing so badly compared with our competitors?
§ Mr. HowardAll the signs are that the number and proportion of employers providing training has increased since that survey took place about three or four years ago. But by setting up the training and enterprise councils, which will be employer-led, to ensure that the training that is provided in their local areas is sensitive to the needs of those areas, we are setting in train an exciting initiative to secure the maximum involvement of employers in providing the training that we need.
§ Mr. PaiceWill my right hon. and learned Friend have a look at the system of employee contracts? It is right that an employer should invest very large sums in the training of his work force, and we all agree that that should happen, but he should be able to require employees to serve a reasonable period in order that his investment might be recouped. That is happening in some parts of the world, and it has been tried in this country. There are problems with the legal framework, but I wonder whether my right hon. and learned Friend will look into the matter.
§ Mr. HowardIt is my impression that the existing legal framework would make possible much of what my hon. Friend wants. However, I shall certainly look at the points that he has made to see whether any adjustments are necessary.
§ Mr. McLeishWhy is it that, after 10 years of this Government, the recently published report of a study that was commissioned by the Government shows that 52 per cent. of all employees receive no training, 20 per cent. of employers provide no training, and 42 per cent. of employees do not think that they should receive training? What has gone so wrong that we now face a skills crisis and that the Government seem intent on walking away from it?
§ Mr. HowardThe hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that the training problems that we face are a legacy of past generations. The fact is that we are spending six times as much on training as was spent by the previous Labour Government, and that that expenditure has resulted in tremendous advances and benefits.
§ Mr. McLeishWe have a mountain to climb.
§ Mr. HowardThe hon. Gentleman is right: we have a mountain to climb. And we are climbing it.