§ 2. Mr. HawkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made with the skillcheck scheme.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment (Mr. Patrick McLoughlin)The consultative document, which the White Paper "People, Jobs and Opportunity" promised, has been issued and will he discussed with representatives of training and enterprise councils and other interested parties in the next month.
§ Mr. HawkinsDoes my hon. Friend agree that in addition to the progress of the skillcheck scheme, it is right to welcome the development of the national training targets as an example of the combination of thinking from training and education leaders and business leaders in the community? The achievements of those targets is well worth while and will be helped by the development of training agencies such as Beneast in my constituency.
§ Mr. McLoughlinWe are doing a considerable amount to encourage the attainment of those targets. My hon. Friend rightly identified the importance that the Government attach to them. They are not Government targets, but they are targets to which we subscribe.