§ Mr. Blackburnasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will convene a joint meeting of officials of the Manpower Services Commission, hon. Members representing West Midlands constituencies, representatives of industry, trade unions and local authorities in the West Midlands to determine future policy and the role of skillcentres which are established and the experimental skillcentre at Redditch.
§ Mr. Jim LesterNo. It is for the Manpower Services Commission to arrange for continuing consultation with local interests about training provision in West Midlands. I understand that the MSC's district manpower committees already play a valuable part as a focus for such discussions; but the MSC's officials are of course willing to join in any broader discussions which may be suggested.
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§ Mr. Blackburnasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report, the number of trainees who would be under instruction at the proposed experimental Redditch skillcentre when completed and the estimated cost of the centre.
§ Mr. Jim LesterI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that there will be places for 252 trainees at Redditch skillcentre when it is completed; considerably more than that number will be trained each year.
The total capital cost—including the purchase of the land and the expenses of the Property Services Agency—will be £3.725 million.
§ Mr. Blackburnasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the number of trainees under instruction who will be transferred from the Dudley skillcentre to the proposed experimental skillcentre at Redditch.
§ Mr. Jim LesterI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that its present plans do not envisage the transfer of trainees currently under instruction from the Dudley skillcentre to the new skillcentre at Redditch as most will complete their courses during the expected six to nine months' overlap between the rundown of Dudley and the build-up of training at Redditch skillcentre. It is expected that any remaining trainees will transfer to Birmingham (Handsworth) and Wolverhampton skillcentre.
§ Mr. Blackburnasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the number of occasions when consultations have taken place between hon. Members representing West Midland constituencies and top management of the Manpower Services Commission on the subject of proposed closures and new skillcentres.
§ Mr. Jim LesterI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission (MSC) that on 7 February the chairman of the MSC wrote to all hon. Members whose constituencies could have been affected by the proposals for the rationalisation of the skillcentre network, and enclosed a copy of a consultative paper setting out those proposals. The chairman's letter 163W stated that he had asked the regional general managers of the training services division of the commission to be prepared to supply whatever further information hon. Members might require, and a list of their names and addresses was also enclosed.
On 22 January 1980 the chairman of the MSC and other MSC officials had discussions with a deputation, which included my hon. Friend the Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Hawksley) about the closure of Telford skillcentre annexe.
§ Mr. Blackburnasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the dates and occasions of any consultations which have taken place between hon. Members representing the Dudley or Redditch constituencies and regional officials of the Manpower Services Commission on the subject of the closure of skillcentres or the opening of experimental centres.
§ Mr. Jim LesterI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that while actual dates cannot be given without disproportionately time-consuming research, regional officials have ensured that the hon. Members representing Dudley and Redditch have been kept fully in touch by correspondence and otherwise, with the proposals for rationalising the skillcentre network.