HC Deb 09 January 1996 vol 269 cc147-8W
Mr. Alfred Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what calculation or estimate she has made of the percentage of employers to whom the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 will not apply. [7426]

Mrs. Gillan

The employment provisions of the Act do not apply to those employers who employ fewer than 20 employees. This will therefore exclude about 96 per cent. of employers.

However, it is more relevant that 80 per cent. of employees work for employers who will be within the scope of the employment provisions of the Act. Merseyside Training and Enterprise Council

Mr. Matthew Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what is the budget of Merseyside TEC in(a) 1995–96 and (b) 1996–97; [7931]

(2) if he will list the members of the board of Merseyside TEC, their relevant previous experience and dates of appointment. [7932]

Mr. Paice

The Government office for Merseyside contracted with Merseyside training and enterprise council for expenditure of £42.44 million in 1995–96. Negotiations for the 1996–97 contract are due to start shortly and no figure is available presently.

The members of the board of Merseyside TEC are:

Name Date of appointment
Mr. L. Howell 17 December 1990
Mr. T. Atherton 7 September 1995
Mr. M. H. Bennett 10 January 1991
Mrs. L. J. Bloomfield 19 November 1990
Mr. I. H. Carnall 4 July 1994
Mr. M. F. Cogley 23 April 1990
Mr. R. Currie 5 April 1993
Mr. G. J Haywood 13 September 1993
Mr. D. G. Henshaw 23 April 1990
Mr. R. W. Lofthouse 23 April 1990
Mr. A. Lowe 23 April 1990
Mr. R. I. S. Meadows 9 January 1992
Mr. I. S. Parr 28 February 1995
Mr. L. Sterling 12 November 1992

The basic requirement for membership of a TEC board is that the person holds the office of chairman or chief executive or top level operational manager at local level of a company within the private sector or their equivalents from education, economic development, trade unions, voluntary organisations or the public sector. The members of the Merseyside TEC board meet this requirement.