§ Mr. Pikeasked the Paymaster General on what basis the 30 providers were chosen for the pilot restart courses.
§ Mr. LangIn choosing providers of restart courses in the nine pilot areas, the Manpower Services Commission sought a wide variety of providers from both the public and the private sector.
§ Mr. Pikeasked the Paymaster General if the providers in the pilot schemes for restart courses include any individuals with particular experience in work with the ethnic minorities.
§ Mr. LangInformation about individual tutors on restart courses is not held by the Manpower Services Commission but most training providers in areas where there are significant ethnic minority populations have such experience.
§ Mr. Pikeasked the Paymaster General if the restart scheme provides opportunities of training and benefit for the various constituent sections of the long-term unemployed.
§ Mr. LangThe restart programme will provide opportunities for all categories of long-term unemployed people.
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§ Mr. Pikeasked the Paymaster General what short courses are being offered under the restart scheme; and how they relate to those which are offered within the Manpower Services Commission-funded wider opportunity scheme.
§ Mr. LangThe short courses offered under the restart scheme are of one week's duration with a further drop-in facility of one day per week for up to 13 weeks. The courses will concentrate on re-motivation and reassessment of skills, strength and potential as well as improving techniques of job search, application and interview. They are shorter than most courses run under the wider opportunities training programme although the two programmes have many shared aims. Every effort will be made to develop the relationship between the two programmes in the light of operational experience.
§ Mr. Pikeasked the Paymaster General if the Manpower Services Commission will give consideration to providing special provision for the needs of minority groups in the restart scheme.
§ Mr. LangThe Manpower Services Commission's policy is to make its services available equally to all regardless of sex, ethnic origin or disability. In developing its programmes the Commission aims to target provisions in areas of greatest need and provide courses particularly for ethnic minorities where they have special needs or where they are under-represented in particular skills or occupations.
§ Mr. Pikeasked the Paymaster General what consideration has been given, when providing for the needs of minority groups within the long-term unemployed in the restart schemes, in respect of (a) location, (b) course content, (c) training methods and (d) choice of training agency.
§ Mr. LangJobcentres are being asked to take account of the needs of minority groups in the provision of restart courses. Location, course content, training methods and choice of training agency are all important.
§ Mr. Pikeasked the Paymaster General what arrangements the Manpower Services Commission has made in Lancashire with local training providers to meet the increased demand for training arising from the introduction of the restart scheme.
§ Mr. LangIt is too early to predict the exact number of people who may be advised to consider training as a result of participation in the restart scheme. However, I expect that referrals for training can be contained within the expanding range of adult training provision currently supported in Lancashire by the Manpower Services Commission. Officials of the Manpower Services Commission's training and employment services divisions will be monitoring closely the relationship between people counselled under the restart programme and intake both to the restart course and other training schemes to ensure that adequate training opportunities are provided for the people concerned.
§ Mr. Pikeasked the Paymaster General how special provision has been made in Lancashire for the increase in numbers of ethnic minority adults requiring training as a result of the restart scheme.
§ Mr. LangNo special provision has been made. The Manpower Services Commission will closely monitor
362Wgeneral and specific training needs stemming from the extension of restart to see how they are being met by existing provision and whether any additional arrangements should be made. The MSC will continue to encourage take up of suitable training by ethnic minority or other groups.
§ Mr. Pikeasked the Paymaster General what analysis his Department made, prior to introducing the restart scheme, of previous experience and special needs relating to minority groups within the long-term unemployed.
§ Mr. LangThe restart programme was piloted in nine areas of the country. Two of these areas, Ealing and Huddersfield have significant ethnic minority populations. The national restart programme is based on experiences learned from the pilots.