§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in the review of the Agricultural Training Board.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe review of the Agricultural Training Board (ATB) has now been completed. It has shown that the board has successfully identified the training needs of the agricultural industry and has responded to them. It has also shown that the board enjoys the whole-hearted support of the industry.
In the light of these findings my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales and I have concluded that the ATB should be retained on a statutory basis. We have been particularly impressed by the way in which the board has actively involved farmers in the training effort through its policy of developing training groups. We consider that this approach should be maintained and that the Board should continue to work closely with the industry and other interested parties in order to identify training needs and to ensure that they are met as effectively and as economically as possible.