HC Deb 03 November 1992 vol 213 cc138-9
9. Mr. Evennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures she is taking to produce a better qualified work force.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

We are making significant progress in a number of areas in securing a sustained rise in Britain's skills.

Mr. Evennett

I thank my right hon. Friend for her reply. Does she agree that an increasing proportion of the work force is achieving qualifications, and that the proportion has increased dramatically in the past few years? Furthermore, does she agree that a highly trained and highly skilled work force is essential for Britain's future economic prospects?

Mrs. Shephard

I agree with my hon. Friend. We now have 2.5 million more qualified people in our work force than only five years ago, and 2 million more have qualifications at or above A-level. It is important, however, to maintain the effort. Investment in people, the national training targets and work on non-vocational qualifications will ensure that progress continues to be made.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

Is the £2.6 billion training budget, to which the Secretary of State referred, adequate?

Mrs. Shephard

There is always a case for more, but it is important that we make the best possible use of the resources that we have, which we do. The £2.6 billion is administered by 1,300 business men in charge of training and enterprise councils. They are used to working with the resources that they have. On the underlying point of the hon. Gentleman's question, negotiations continue.

Mr. Anthony Coombs

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that more than three quarters of the working population have qualifications, compared with two thirds only eight years ago? That is principally due to the efforts of the National Council for Vocational Qualifications, which is trying to improve vocational qualifications throughout industry. Will she ensure that the textile sector is the lead body of the carpet industry rather than the construction sector, so that it can award qualifications more appropriate to the industry?

Mrs. Shephard

The figures that my hon. Friend quotes are correct. I shall pay careful attention to the point that he made about the carpet industry, which I know is of much interest to him and his constituents.

Mr. Leighton

Does the Secretary of State know that many chairmen and directors of training and enterprise councils resigned because of previous cuts to their budgets? Unless she defends and increases her budget this year, there will be widespread disillusionment and disenchantment and she will undermine the TECs for the future.

Mrs. Shephard

The hon. Gentleman, I think, is working on a false premise. Chairmen and directors of TECs have resigned, but mostly because they have been promoted and moved elsewhere. I remind the hon. Gentleman that such people are actively concerned in business, and that when they need to make career moves they do so. They are used to working within budgets and I know that they will make the best of whatever they are given, as they are doing at the moment.

Mr. David Shaw

Further to the excellent news that my right hon. Friend has given the House about the Government's encouragement of qualification and training programmes, can she explain why none of the present programmes was available in 1979?

Mrs. Shephard

I think I can. The extraordinary position of the Labour party is that it has consistently opposed and voted against any training measures that have been introduced since 1979. Perhaps it is not very keen on training.