HC Deb 23 July 1990 vol 177 cc95-7W
Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assistance his Department has given to the fraud squad in its investigation into the Mutual Aid Centre Managing Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Eggar

Every assistance requested was given by my Department to the fraud squad, to help them with their investigations relating to the Mutual Aid Centre Managing Agency.

As always, it is the policy of my Department where there are cases of alleged misuse of public funds or fraud, to carry out investigations and to provide every assistance to the appropriate authorities.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide the total funding given to each of(a) Mutual Aid Centre Managing Agency, North London Managing Agency, South London Managing Agency, East London Managing Agency, Birmingham Managing Agency and Chilterns Managing Agency, (b) Inner City Training Ltd., (c) City Training Link, (d) Electronics Aids Workshop and (e) High Wycombe (Brass Tacks) Workshop Ltd.

Mr. Eggar

I regret that the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the Training Agency receives annual accounts and lists of company shareholders for all training agents and managers involved in the delivery of employment training/community project and youth training.

Mr. Nicholls

My Department receives annual accounts from training providers contracted with the Training Agency for the delivery of employment training/youth training. Under the former community programme, managing agents provided audited accounts on an annual basis. Lists of company shareholders are not received.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on(a) the monitoring of expenditure in employment training by the Training Agency, (b) the role of the Training Advisory Standard Service in ensuring the quality of employment training and (c) the progress made by the Training Agency in training agents and training managers achieving approved training organisation status.

Mr. Nicholls

My Department monitors closely the level of expenditure on employment training through its financial management and accounting system. The Training Standards Advisory Service provides an objective assessment of the quality of training offered by approved training organisations. At 31 May 1990, 153 training agents and 881 training managers had received approval for stage 1 and one training agent and six training managers had received approval for stage 2. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Amber Valley (Mr. Oppenheim) on 20 July 1990.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of visits made by the Training Agency to each of(a) Mutual Aid Centre Managing Agency, (b) Inner City Training Ltd, (c) City Training Link, (d) Electronics Aids Workshop, and (e) High Wycombe (Brass Tacks) Workshops Ltd.

Mr. Eggar

Training Agency staff have made a large number of formal and informal visits to Inner City Training Limited and City Training Link. Precise numbers are not available. The other organisations listed by the hon. Member ceased to deliver training programmes before or shortly after September 1988, when the Training Agency came into existence.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about Inner City Training Ltd's termination of its horticultural scheme.

Mr. Eggar

Information on this matter is relevant to a contract with an individual training provider and is therefore commercial in confidence.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total expenditure on(a) employment training agents and (b) employment training training management in the period September 1988 to April 1990.

Mr. Nicholls

For the period September 1988 to end March 1990, total expenditure on employment training (ET) training agents was £37.9 million and ET training managers was £667.9 million. Expenditure information for April 1990 is not available in the form requested.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will review the use of training agents and training managers in the delivery of employment training; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholls

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to review the current use of training agents and training managers in employment training. My Department keeps their performance under constant review. Training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies will make arrangements to deliver employment training in the manner most appropriate to the needs of their areas. These arrangements are described in the corporate and business plans approved by the appropriate Secretary of State.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the £65,000 owed to the Training Agency by Mutual Aid Centre Managing Agency, as a result of the company going into receivership, has been repaid.

Mr. Eggar

I am informed that the £65,000 mentioned in the Mutual Aid Centre Managing Agency's schedule of creditors has not been repaid.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the fraud squad completed its investigation of the Mutual Aid Centre Managing Agency's involvement in the community programme and youth training; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Eggar

My Department has no information on the date when the fraud squad completed its investigation.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when involvement of City Training Link in employment training and community programme and youth training was approved; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholls

City Training Link was approved to deliver employment training on 22 September 1988. The organisation has not been involved in the community programme or youth training.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those managing agencies whose involvement in Government training schemes has been discussed with the National Audit Office.

Mr. Eggar

The National Audit Office visits a large number of managing agents each year as part of their normal audit of my Department's accounts. Further visits may occur in connection with value-for-money studies. My Department is in frequent contact with National Audit Office about its findings, as a matter of routine. It is not possible to provide a list containing the name of every managing agent whose involvement in training schemes has at some time been discussed.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when involvement of Inner City Training Ltd. in employment training, community programme or youth training was approved; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholls

Inner City Training Ltd. was approved to deliver employment training on 2 September 1988. This organisation has never participated in the community programme or youth training.