§ 5. Mr. HallTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations she has received on employer-provided training in the north-west.
§ Mr. HallMay I draw the Minister's attention to the fact that Normidtec training and enterprise council, which covers my constituency, recently held a special needs awareness week, to try to promote training opportunities for the disabled members of our community? Will he tell the House what steps the Government are taking to ensure that disabled members of the community have access to high-level training and to good jobs?
§ Mr. McLoughlinI know about the scheme to which the hon. Gentleman refers. As I understand it, he, too, supports it, and I congratulate him on that. We are encouraging the TECs to identify what is needed locally, and we are giving vast assistance and support, through financial arrangements, to the TEC movement across the country.
§ Mr. HawkinsWill my hon. Friend join me in welcoming the fact that 250 organisations, including many household names employing more than 250,000 people, are already recognised as having achieved the standards specified in Investors In People, and the fact that about 3,000 organisations, including many more national and international companies, and many companies in the north-west, are working closely with their local training and enterprise councils on the programme?
§ Mr. McLoughlinI can confirm those figures, and I am rather sorry that the Opposition seem to talk them down. Investors In People is important, and a number of household names have now signed up to committing themselves to the programme. As my hon. Friend says, more than 250 organisations have already achieved the target, and more than 3,000 have made a formal commitment to do so.