§ Mr. Brintonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of responses by local education authorities to the technical and vocational education initiative; and what plans he has for extending the initiative.
§ Mr. TebbitThe Government have been encouraged by the enthusiasm and commitment shown by the 66 local education authorities which submitted proposals, and I am confident that the 14 schemes selected for support will be under way by September.
Detailed examination of these schemes has shown that they will not require as much support from the Manpower Services Commission as was originally expected, and I understand that it may be possible for the commission to find from within its existing resources up to another £14 million in 1984–85 and £20 million in subsequent years to apply to an extension of the initiative from September 1984.
My colleagues and I would welcome an extension on this basis and I am therefore asking the commission, if it is willing to move forward in this way, to let me have proposals for extending the initiative from September 1984 by increasing the number of five-year projects. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Science, for Wales and for Scotland are consulting the local authority associations.