HC Deb 24 April 1996 vol 276 cc204-5W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many firms with fewer than(a) 100 employees, (b) 50 employees, (c) 20 employees, and (d) 10 employees and (e) in total (i) achieved and (ii) participated in Investors in People in each year since the scheme began. [26106]

Mr. Paice

At 29 February 1996, a total of 18,191 employers in the UK were committed to achieving the Investors in People standard and 3,305 are recognised as having achieved the standard.

A statistical breakdown is provided in the following table:

Government contracts with careers service companies and TECs require them to comply with the Government's code of practice on open government. The Department publishes a series of indicators annually for each TEC, the inter-TEC comparison tables, covering performance in the main programme activities under contract with TECs. Performance indicators also form part of the criteria for TECs achieving a three-year licence. It is our intention to publish performance indicators for careers service companies in autumn 1997.

Government's contracts with careers service companies and TECs, and the TEC National Council's framework for local accountability set out principles for openness, integrity and accountability which are features of the citizens charter. TECs and careers service companies can apply for the charter mark award if they wish.

Dr. Wright

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what(a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) minutes of meetings, (d) agendas of meetings and (e) registers of members' interests are published by training and enterprise councils; and if in each case this is under statutory requirement. [25967]

Mr. Paice

[holding answer 22 April 1996]: Training and enterprise councils are private companies and are required by the Companies Act to produce annual accounts which are lodged with Companies House. The Government contract with TECs requires that they publish an annual report and audited statement of accounts. The contract also requires TECs to pay due regard to the TEC National Council's framework of local accountability, which expects TECs to make their register of interests available for public inspection,. The publication of board papers is a matter for each company.

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