Meat and Poultry

HC Deb 28 October 2002 vol 391 cc662-3W

Mr. David Lidington

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government's planned expenditure is on training in the meat and poultry sectors in(a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [74734]

Margaret Beckett

[holding answer 15 October 2002]I have been asked to reply.

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funds generic training leading to a national qualification. While there is a small volume of LSC-supported vocational training for new entrants to the meat and poultry sector, it is likely that the bulk of training in this sector will be in-service and not supported by the LSC.

Sector Skills Councils, which are replacing National Training Organisations, have a responsibility to work with employers to identify training needs and ways of meeting them. Lantra has been designated as a trailblazer sector skills council covering environmental and land-based industries, including agricultural production. Lantra receives some financial support from Defra and DIES, though it will principally be for industry sectors to generate funds for training. The meat and poultry sectors will also benefit from publicly-funded services, such as Defra's Farm Business Advice Service.

The Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) a Defra non-departmental public body (NDPB), funded by statutory levy, has the general duty of promoting greater efficiency in the livestock industry and the livestock products industry, and other functions which include: 1. In sections of the livestock industry or livestock products industry for which no industrial training board has been established, encouraging and promoting the training of employees 2. Co-operating with the industrial training board for any other sector of either industry in the improvement of the training of employees in that section of the industry. (Agriculture Act 1967, Schedule 1, paragraph 17)

The MLC therefore fund training in the red meat sector, both directly and through support to the Meat Training Council (formerly a national training organisation), discussions are under way regarding its possible inclusion in a larger food and drink SSC). The MLC planned expenditure on training during the periods in question is:

	£
2002–03	160,000 (forecast)
2003–04	175,000 (indicative)
2004–05	200,000 (indicative)