§ Baroness HORNSBY-SMITHasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many work permits have been issued this year for employment in the tourist and catering trade and what steps are being taken to encourage United Kingdom citizens to train and enter for these services.
Lord WALLACE of COSLANYMy Lords, statistics are not available in the form requested. Analyses of work permits issued for overseas workers (including permission given for those already in this country when the application was made) by Standard Industrial Classification are produced annually. The Standard Industrial Classification includes a category for employment in the hotel and catering industry but there is no tourist industry category.
Work permits are generally available only for jobs that are not below skilled level; because of difficulties in attracting indigenous labour to the hotel and catering industry, this restriction does not apply to it. Instead, a special quota of permits for the industry is determined annually. The figure for this year is 2,000, and during the first quarter just over 400 have been issued.
544WAThe Manpower Services Commission informs me that the industry is aware of the importance of attracting high quality staff from among the resident labour force. The Hotel and Catering Industry Training Board is one of several bodies offering a careers advisory service for the industry. It does so centrally and also locally, in liaison with the local authority careers service and through its Group Training Schemes. It is also a regular exhibitor at the annual National Careers Exhibition and frequently has a stand at trade and careers conventions.
A wide range of publicity material about career opportunities is available; it is distributed to schools and is also used by the local authority careers service in guidance interviews with young people.
I am also informed that while the main responsibility for training lies with the industry and the Board, the industry is being treated as a priority area in the expansion of the Training Opportunities Scheme. The Employment Service Agency and the local authority careers service take every opportunity to encourage suitable job seekers to consider training in hotel and catering trades and also to encourage employers to notify their vacancies. These are brought quickly to the attention of a wide selection of jobseekers, not only by display in self-service sections of Jobcentres and employment offices but also through a network of specialised hotel and catering offices.