§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action is being taken by576W Northern Ireland Departments to address adult basic literacy and numeracy problems; and if he will make a statement. [128280]
§ Jane KennedyThe Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) launched the Essential Skills for Living Strategy and Action Plan in October 2002. The strategy aims to support 25,000 adults to improve their literacy and numeracy skills by 2005.
The Department has established an Essential Skills Committee comprising key stakeholders from Government Departments, business and industry, the further education sector and the voluntary and community sector to take the strategy forward. It has developed also a framework of qualifications through the universities for all levels of essential skills tutors. During 2002–03, Queens University successfully delivered the Certificate in Management and Teaching of Literacy to 70 tutors and a further 66 have enrolled for the course in 2003–04. The Department launched a major promotional campaign in May 2003, with the aim of engaging a wide range of learners to improve their essential skills.
Plans are in place to liaise with the Northern Ireland Departments to ensure essential skills is taken into account in the design and delivery of their policies and programmes. The Department of Finance and Personnel, for example, is developing a strategy and action plan for the delivery of essential skills throughout the Northern Ireland civil service. The Northern Ireland Prison Service has worked with DEL to enhance essential skills provision for prisoners and the Social Security Agency has been actively involved in considering new approaches to encourage benefit claimants to improve their essential skills. Pilot exercises using financial incentives and new essential skills screening tools are planned for January 2004.