§ Sir J. Edenasked the Secretary of State for Employment to what extent there is duplication and overlapping between the work being carried out by the Manpower Services Commission, the Training Service Agency and the Construction Industry Training Board; and what steps he is taking to avoid it.
§ Mr. GoldingI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the work being carried out by the Manpower Services Commission and the Training Services Agency complements, but does not duplicate, that of the Construction 535W Industry Training Board, which has the prime responsibility for promoting training in the construction industry. The Training Services Agency (TSA), as an executive arm of the Manpower Services Commission, maintains very close and continuing liaison with the CITB, including full discussions of its plans and programmes to meet the industry's training needs. As part of the MSC's measures to combat the effects of the current recession upon employment and training, the TSA and the CITB in 1975 and 1976 jointly agreed on the introduction of a number of measures designed to maintain the intake of trainees to the industry. TSA promotes and finances training through the CITB. The greater part of
NOTIFIED UNFILLED VACANCIES Employment Office Area October 1973 October 1974 October 1975 October 1976 At Employment Offices At Careers Offices At Employment Offices At Careers Offices At Employment Offices At Careers Offices At Employment Offices At Careers Offices Leek 250 132 108 33 56 10 33 15 Biddulph 81 62 63 41 40 —* 16 —* Cheadle 13 37 85 18 23 —* 15 —* Kidsgrove 357 31 216 43 103 —* 41 —* * The careers office vacancies for Biddulph and Cheadle are now included with those for Leek-There are no separate figures for Kidsgrove which is now covered by the Burslem Careers office. The vacancy figures relate only to vacancies notified to employment offices and careers offices and are not a measure of total vacancies. Because of possible duplication the two series should not be added together.