§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if multinational and multi-site companies will be able to bypass the local learning and skills councils and deal directly at national level in connection with training and qualifications issues. [94741]
§ Mr. Wicks[holding answer 19 October 1999]It will be important for the Learning and Skills Council at national and local levels to engage employers of all sizes in workforce development which will benefit individuals, improve business competitiveness and strengthen the economy. There are large national companies which find it difficult to work effectively within the current system; and the Learning and Skills Council will be able to develop arrangements which make it easier to provide a national link to such companies. The precise arrangements will be developed in coming months.