§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the(a) responsibilities of and (b) operational relationships between regional development agencies and (i) the Learning and Skills Council and (ii) local learning and skills councils. [101654]
§ Mr. Wicks[holding answer 8 December 1999]: The White Paper "Learning to Succeed" set out the proposed functions of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and its relationship with Regional Development Agencies (RDAs).
RDAs will be represented on both the national LSC and local Councils. At both national and local level the LSC and RDAs will share information to ensure that the national skills agenda and local LSC plans are developed with reference to regional priorities and skills strategies. RDAs will also be invited to comment on local LSC plans, and the extent to which they reflect regional learning and skill needs. RDAs and the LSC will also work together to develop skills packages for regional inward investment programmes.
We will shortly publish a document setting out the Government's plans for implementing the proposals in the White Paper. The document will outline how the new arrangements will work and set out the next steps for implementation.