South East London TEC (Hansard, 15 February 1994)

§ 7. Ms Hoey
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to increase the level of support to the South East London training and enterprise council.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment (Miss Ann Widdecombe)
There is no such training and enterprise council as the South East London TEC. If the hon. Member is referring to her TEC—South Thames—the Department's regional director is negotiating the level of resources for 1994–95 with that and other London TECs.

§ Ms Hoey
I thank the Minister for her reply. Some of us in south London will still call it the South East London TEC, no matter what the Minister wants to call it.
The Minister will be aware that South Thames TEC is the first to become involved in kids club networks and that the setting up of the first after-school club for kids in Vauxhall is one of the useful things that have happened in my constituency. Will she welcome that initiative and ensure that South Thames TEC can put money into that scheme to enable the club to continue and will she allow the increase in after-school child care to continue, so that the many unemployed women in my constituency and in south London have an opportunity to get back to training and to work?

§ Miss Widdecombe
Yes, of course, I welcome the initiative and I have visited that club, as I think the hon. Lady will know. I am pleased to congratulate all those concerned in setting it up. We have made it clear that those TECs that were piloting the out-of-school child care initiative will continue to be funded, as will all other TECs, from 1994–95. Although I cannot pre-empt the TECs' judgment and take a view on that scheme, I can say that funding to TECs for that purpose will continue.

§ Mr. Ian Taylor
Does my hon. Friend recognise that Surrey TEC is just up the river from South Thames TEC and that it is doing an excellent job with local industry in reskilling people, especially younger people? That partnership with industry depends not merely on what the Government do, but on what industry does to help people to get back to work, given the new challenges presented by the need for people of a higher calibre—especially school leavers. Does she welcome Surrey TEC's initiative?

§ Miss Widdecombe
Yes, I have pleasure in welcoming Surrey TEC's initiative and similar initiatives at other TECs. I am delighted to welcome the various initiatives that result from partnerships between industry and Government and, in particular, "Investors in People", which encourages training and skilling on a lifelong basis.
I have pleasure in confirming that that is not confined to the private sector and that the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service today became the first nationwide civil service body to receive the full award of Investors in People.