HC Deb 11 June 1996 vol 279 cc132-3W
Mr. William O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what funding is to be made available to the Wakefield training and enterprise council for(a) 1994–95, (b) 1995–96 and (c) 1996–97; and what specific funding was allotted to particular services or activities. [32260]

Mr. Paice

The funds made available to Wakefield training and enterprise council—TEC—by the Department were: 1994–95, £13,125,523; 1995–96, £11,144,458 (subject to audit); and in 1996–97 funding available is expected to be £9,173,455. TEC budgets can, and often do, change in the year. The funding was allotted to particular services and activities as set out in the following tables:

Standard Coal Total
1994–95 cash year
Training for young people 4,356,066 — 4,356,066
Training for unemployed adults1 3,053,605 860,151 3,913,756
Other 3,701,417 1,154,284 4,855,701
Total 11,111,088 2,014,435 13,125,523
1995–96 cash year
Training for young people 4,670,326 — 4,670,326
Training for unemployed adults1 2,288,551 559,755 2,848,306
Other 2,402,709 1,223,117 3,625,826
Total 9,361,586 1,782,872 11,144,458
1996–97 cash year
Training for young people 5,398,443 — 5,398,443
Training for unemployed adults1 1,632,858 39,971 1,672,829
Other 2,026,503 75,680 2,102,183
Total 9,057,804 115,651 9,173,455
1 The figure quoted is for training for work fees. Additional funding was made available for allowances paid to those in training.

Mr. O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the visit of a Minister from her Department to the area covered by the Wakefield TEC to discuss advice and promises of help to reduce the unemployed in the travel to work areas of Castleford and Pontefract, Wakefield and Dewsbury. [32262]

Mr. Paice

I visited the area covered by Wakefield training and enterprise council on the morning of 2 November 1995. Part of the morning included a visit to Pontefract prospect corner, one of Wakefield TEC's advice centres. I met members of staff of prospect corner and Wakefield TEC, toured the site and met some of those who have used the prospect corner facilities. Other sources of advice and help for unemployed people in the area covered by Wakefield TEC include the training for work programme run by the TEC and the range of services provided by the Employment Service, although I was not able to visit these on this occasion.