HC Deb 29 November 1989 vol 162 cc278-9W
Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many inspectors examine employment training schemes, by region in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lang

The Training Agency has 115 staff in Scotland monitoring training agents and training managers, and six training standards inspectors. Financial checks on all employment training providers are carried out by the Training Agency's professional accountant. The Training Agency also employs independent consultants to undertake a range of quality development tasks. The activities of many of these staff cross regional boundaries and it is therefore impossible to give a regional breakdown.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received any recent representations regarding the operation of the employment training scheme in Scotland.

Mr. Lang

In the last six months my right hon. and learned Friend has received 10 representations about the operation of employment training in Scotland.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the bodies in Scotland which have been asked to make improvements in their performance to comply with the terms of their contract under the employment training scheme.

Mr. Lang

I cannot provide details of individual training agents and training managers who have been asked to improve their performance because the terms of contract with these organisations require such communications to be treated as commercial in confidence.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of trainees in the employment training scheme in Scotland go into full-time employment; what proportion leave the scheme and return to unemployment; and how many instructors have the appropriate qualifications for the supervisory work that they undertake.

Mr. Lang

At present information about employment training trainees in Scotland who find full-time employment or return to unemployment is unavailable. A 100 per cent. follow-up survey which will provide such data is now under way.

All supervisory staff of employment training providers are required to be competent to undertake such work and these training providers are expected to have plans to develop and update the skills of their staff.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of the employment training scheme in Scotland; and if he has any proposals to improve the current level of accountability of all training agencies in Scotland.

Mr. Lang

Under the approved training organisations scheme, the ability of each training organisation to meet the Training Agency's quality requirements is being assessed. All training organisations that wish to continue as employment training providers will be expected to achieve approved training organisation status.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how frequently inspections are made of employment training schemes in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lang

Frequent visits to training agents and training managers are undertaken by Training Agency staff in accordance with a laid down sampling framework. The frequency of visits will vary and will be governed by agency's confidence in the organisations visited.