HC Deb 03 November 1999 vol 337 cc402-3

Lords amendment: No. 40, in page 64, line 24, at end insert— ("(5A) For the purposes of, or in connection with, a scheme established for (or for an area which includes) Wales or a part of Wales, the National Assembly for Wales may, if it considers that facilities whose provision any person (including the Secretary of State) is undertaking under arrangements within subsection (5)(a) or (b) are capable of being supportive of the training of persons for employment, make such payments to that person as the Assembly considers appropriate; and any such payments—

  1. (a) may be by way of fees, grants, loans or otherwise, and
  2. (b) may, unless the Assembly otherwise specifies, be used by the person to whom they are made for the provision of any of the facilities provided under the arrangements.")

Ms Jowell

I beg to move, That this House agrees with the Lords in the said amendment.

Mr. Deputy Speaker

With this, it will be convenient to discuss Lords amendment No. 41.

Ms Jowell

I hope that it will be possible to deliver the short version of the speech, rather than the longer version. The principle behind the creation of employment zones is to allow for the pooling of various funding streams currently available to help long-term unemployed people. It is straightforward to pool the funding in England, but more difficult for employment zones in Wales. Without the amendment, the money that the Welsh Assembly holds for training could not be used for employment zones in Wales.

There is also a small consequential amendment involving some renumbering in clause 55 as a result of amendment No. 40. I urge the House to support the amendments.

Lords amendment agreed to [Special Entry].

Lords amendment No. 41 agreed to.

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