§ Mr. Goldingasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the reduction in financial assistance from the Manpower Services Commission to the Engineering Industry Training Board at June prices.
§ Mr. Jim LesterI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that information is not available at the price date requested. A reduction of £2.38 million has been made in the funds provisionally offered to the Engineering Industry Training Board amounting to £18.31 million in the 1979–80 financial year. The offer was made at April 1978 prices except in respect of some grant funded activities which were on a fixed price basis.
§ Mr. Goldingasked the Secretary of State for Employment what will be the impact on the training of professional engineers following the cuts in grants from the Manpower Services Commission to the Engineering Industry Training Board.
§ Mr. Jim LesterI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the Engineering Industry Training Board has yet to decide what activities will be affected by the reduction in financial support from public funds in the current financial year.
§ Mr. Goldingasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether the Manpower Services Commissioners were consulted in respect to the cuts in financial assistance for the Engineering Industry Training Board before they were notified;
(2) what consultations took place with the Manpower Services Commissioners before the Government decided to cut its expenditure on industrial training.
§ Mr. Jim LesterMy right hon. Friend did not consult the whole of the MSC before the cuts were made, but he asked the chairman to carry out what consulta-292W tion he could at short notice. The distribution of the cuts was made in such a way as to have the least damaging effects on MSC programmes.
My right hon. Friend and I have since had a meeting with the full Commission to discuss its manpower programmes.