HC Deb 19 October 1998 vol 317 cc1025-6W
Mr. Chidgey

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the current status of(a) Companies House, (b) the Employment Tribunals Service, (c) the Insolvency Service, (d) the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, (e) the Patent Office and (f) the Radiocommunications Agency in respect of Investors in People. [49968]

Mr. Mandelson

[holding answer 17 July 1998]: Responsibility for Investors in People in the Department's Agencies lies with the chief executives. I have asked the chief executives to write to the hon. Member in respect of Investors in people in their respective agencies. This will also update the answer given by the then Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs, my hon. Friend the Minister for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Griffiths), on 15 June 1998, Official Report, columns 97–98.

Letter from Ian Jones to Mr. David Chidgey, dated 19 October 1998: I have been asked by the President of the Board of Trade to reply, in respect of the Employment Tribunals Service (ETS), to your question on the current status in respect of Investors in People. The Employment Tribunal Service is committed to training and developing all staff and has made a written commitment to meeting the Investors in People standard and will be seeking formal assessment in October 1998.

Letter from David Hendon to Mr. David Chidgey, dated 17 July 1998: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if she will make a statement on the current status of (a) Companies House, (b) the Employment Tribunals Service, (c) the Insolvency Service, (d) the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, (e) the Patent Office and (f) the Radiocommunications Agency in respect of Investors in People. 49968 1. I have been asked by the President of the Board of Trade to respond to the above Parliamentary Question. 2. The Agency made a formal commitment to achieve IiP in August 1996. It has just had its trial assessment and is on course for its target of full assessment in January 1999.

Letter from John Holden to Mr. David Chidgey, dated July 1998: I have been asked to reply to your question to the President of the Board of Trade regarding the current status of Investors in People. Companies House committed itself to progress towards IiP accreditation some 18 months ago. An initial diagnostic survey was undertaken at the start of our programme and steps taken to address issues which this raised. Companies House has subsequently had several reviews to measure our progress towards the IiP National Standard and will have a full pre-assessment in the Autumn of this year. If this shows that the Agency is close to meeting necessary standards, the intention would be to undertake a full assessment later in the year.

Letter from Peter Joyce to Mr. David Chidgey, dated July 1998: The President of the Board of Trade has asked me as Inspector General and Chief Executive to reply to your question about the current status of The Insolvency Service in respect of Investors in People (IiP). The Insolvency Service formally committed to work towards accreditation in June 1996 and is looking to assessment and recognition by December 1998, within the timescales set out by the Government's Development & Training White Paper.

Letter from Dr. Seton Bennett to Mr. David Chidgey, dated July 1998: The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory to your question about the status of IIP at NWML. NWML was assessed in March 1998, but recognition was deferred. The proposal is to apply for re-assessment towards the end of the year.

Letter from P. R. S. Hartnack to Mr. David Chidgey, dated July 1998: I am replying for the Patent Office to your question to the President of the Board of Trade about the current status of Department of Trade and Industry agencies in relation to Investors in People. The position is that the Patent Office is currently being assessed for Investors in People status and I hope that we will shortly be accredited as an Investor in People.

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