§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he intends to test a new vocational assessment and reorientation course, designed to meet the needs of unemployed adults in areas of high unemployment; and if he will test such a course in the Durham county council area.
§ Mr. Jim LesterI assume the hon. Member is referring to the proposal in the review of the training opportunities scheme published last year that an evaluation should be undertaken of a new kind of course, known as the work assessment course, which, if the results were successful, could lead to the extension of such courses. I understand from the Manpower Services Commission, which is responsible for the operation of the training opportunities scheme, that it has not yet been possible to mount the experiments on which work assessment courses80W could be evaluated. There is at present no proposal to mount such an experiment in the Durham county council area.