§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of recruitment to the first year of engineering, craft and technician apprenticeship, by region, in each year from 1979–80 to 1984–85.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe following figures show registrations made by the engineering industry training board of first year engineering craft and technician apprentices:
employers, who can best ensure that training of the right quantity, quality and cost takes place. It is consistent with this policy that all industry training organisations, including industrial training boards, voluntary training organisations and group training associations, should meet their own operating costs.
The Manpower Services Commission has therefore decided that, where funding has been available in the past to support the operating costs of some employer-based group training associations and training centres, this should now be phased out over a period not exceeding three years from April 1984. This will allow such associations time to establish an independent financial basis for their operations. However, while support for operating costs will end, the associations will continue to 59W be able to apply for funding available under the commission's various training programmes on the same basis as other industry training organisations.
The Government believe that group training associations can continue to have an important role to play in training and a number of them are becoming directly involved in helping to meet the objectives of the new training initiative, for example as managing agents under the youth training scheme and in the reform of skills training and the opening up of training opportunities for adults.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many group training association training centres in each industrial sector have closed down since 1979;
(2) what information he has as to how many employer-based group training associations have ceased to operate in each industry since 1979.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThis information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of expenditure by industry on industrial training in the carpet industry, the ceramic, glass and mineral products industry, the chemical and allied products industry, the clothing and allied products industry, the cotton and allied textiles industry, the distributive industry, the food, drink and tobacco industry, the footwear, leather and fur skin industry, the furniture and timber industry, the hotel and catering industry, the iron and steel industry, the knitting, lace and net industry, the man-made fibres industry, the paper and paper products industry, the printing and publishing industry, the rubber and plastics processing industry, the shipbuilding industry and the wool, jute and flax industry, respectively, in 1979–80; and what the figure for such expenditure is likely to be in 1984–85.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonInformation on total expenditure on training in these industries is not available.