§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in putting into practice the recommendations in the joint working party report on local authority purchasing from sheltered workshops; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. KingAction to put into practice the recommendations of this working party, on which central Government were not represented, is a matter for local authorities and their associations. I am aware, however, that they are co-operating with Sheltered Employment Procurement and Consultancy Services (SEPACS), which was set up by the Manpower Services Commission in 1979 to obtain more public sector work for sheltered workshops.