§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he makes of the relative standards of education and training of young people and adults in Great Britain and in the United Kingdom's major trading competitors, respectively; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Keith JosephReliable international comparisons of the standards associated with qualifications of different types and of different levels require an agreed frame of reference (including common criteria for assessing performance) which does not exist at present. However, a recent survey commissioned by the Manpower Services Commission and the National Economic Development Office indicates that the industrial and commercial success of three major trading competitors is associated with higher levels of investment by employers in vocational education and training. The report suggests gaps and weaknesses in United Kingdom provision, for which employers and the education and training for them share responsibility. The Government seek to remedy these deficiences in England and Wales through the policy set out in the White Paper, "Training for Jobs".