§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a progress report on negotiations with training and enterprise councils for the apportionment of their assets spent; and how many(a) have or (b) have not yet reached agreement with the Department, the value of assets taken into public ownership or divested elsewhere and the value of such public assets put under the control of local learning and skills councils. [142630]
§ Mr. Wicks[holding answer 14 December 2000]: Discussions are progressing well with individual TEC/CCTEs about the precise distribution of their asset base. We expect to reach decisions in principle with all TECs early in the new year. The final position will not be know until well into the new financial year after TECs have delivered their contracts and completed their final year's accounts. I will update the hon. Member on progress in the new year.