HL Deb 11 November 1987 vol 489 cc1369-70

3.8 p.m.

Baroness Elliot of Harwood

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what support is available for single parents who work to participate in government training measures.

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, the Manpower Services Commission provides training opportunities for both employed and unemployed people, including single parents. For trainees in employment, support is limited to payment of training costs in appropriate cases.

Baroness Elliot of Harwood

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply and congratulate him on the success of this scheme. Can he say whether the response has been what was hoped for and are the Government satisfied about the number of women who obtain employment after taking this training?

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend. The scheme only started in September and is being piloted in 10 areas. I think we should see how it continues and recognise that many single parents find it difficult to find work especially when children are very young. We shall see how it works out in practice.

Baroness Turner of Camden

My Lords, will the Minister tell the House whether any creche facilities can be made available through MSC schemes? My information is that such facilities are not available. Would it not be helpful to single parents, particularly very young women, if such facilities were available?

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, under this scheme arrangements have to be made for single parents to have their children looked after during the period of training. With regard to the provision of creche facilities during normal training, we have to accept that while there is a great demand for training places, we must ensure that those trained are able to take up skilled employment at the end of the courses. But I hope that people will take training courses even if creche facilities are not available, as they cannot always be available in the work place.

Baroness Seear

My Lords, is the Secretary of State aware—I am sure that he is—that it is possible that people with family responsibilities who go on an MSC training course can be worse off on the training allowances than they were on the accumulation of benefits they had before going on the course; and that that has the effect of making it impossible for some people who wish to take training, and who would be useful when trained, to start or to continue on the courses?

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, that is a problem. One of the difficulties is that many single parents are not eligible for unemployment benefit because in view of their circumstances they obtain other allowances. I am sure that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Employment, together with the Department of Health and Social Security, will be looking at that matter. It is important of course that as many of those people who are able and willing to work should do so.

Baroness Lockwood

My Lords, given the Government's stated intention to assist lone parents to remove themselves from being dependent upon means-tested benefits, can the noble Lord state what further plans the Government have to ensure that lone parents can take part in the whole range of available training facilities?

Lord Young of Graffham

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness. It is a different question if we are to look at the whole range of schemes. We must ensure that people with the right aptitudes can take part in government training schemes in circumstances which will permit them to take employment afterwards. I am happy to look into her question, to write to her afterwards and to put the reply in the Library.