§ Mr. David Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Employment in the light of recommendations of the Bolton Report (14.25), if he will list changes made in industrial training board facilities, to make them more appropriate to the needs of those small businesses which contribute.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that development of facilities by industrial training boards with the needs of small firms in mind is a continuous process. Although the recommendations of the Bolton Report have been considered by industrial training boards it is not possible to list changes which are a direct consequence of the recommendations.
Current facilities and activities which industrial training boards are developing with the needs of small firms in mind can be summarised as: Support for group training schemes; advisory/consultancy 760W services; published training recommendations for small firms; advisory panels / special committees; exemption criteria interpreted with special needs of small firms in mind; grant schemes for excluded and non-exempt small firms; special training courses and seminars.