§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what criteria will be taken into account before a decision is made on his Department's grant for 1981–82 to the Trades Union Congress for education and training purposes; and when he expects to announce that decision;
(2) how many trade unionists have taken advantage of public funds for education and training purposes which have been awarded to the Trades Union Congress in each year since such a grant was made;
(3) when he expects to receive accounts from the Trades Union Congress of how his Department's grant of £1.67 million for education and training in 1980–81 was spent;
(4) if he will place in the Library a copy of the accounts of how the education and training grant to the Trades Union Congress in 1979–80 was spent.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneMy Department and the Department of Employment have jointly provided grant since 1976 towards the expenditure on trade union education and training incurred by the Trades Union Congress and affiliated independent trade unions.
My right hon. and learned Friend and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment have jointly offered £1.84 million to the TUC for this purpose in 1981–82 and they await the TUC's response.
The offer was made to provide continuing support for the education and training of workplace representatives in order that they should be better able to undertake their responsibilities in industrial relations, health and safety and other areas of employee involvement. Proposals by the TUC to introduce certain new areas of activity into the grant arrangements for 1981–82 are to be the subject of further considerations.
A copy of the audited account showing the TUC's receipt and expenditure of grant in 1979–80 has been placed in the Library. The TUC is required to submit by 31 May 1981 an audited account for 1980–81.
158WAs the grant is not intended to meet the full costs incurred by the TUC and affiliated independent unions, it is not possible to show how many students have been directly assisted by the grant arrangements.
The following figures taken from the general council's report to the TUC in 1980 show the number of students who attended day release courses sponsored by the TUC during each of the years between 1976–77 and 1979–80:
Courses 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 Basic 10,917 14,047 13,421 15,701 Follow on 2,652 3,034 3,074 4,542 Health and Safety 7,803 10,398 27,361 18,738 21,372 27,479 43,856 38,981
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what opportunity Her Majesty's Inspectorate has taken to examine the ways in which public funds, paid to the Trades Union Congress for education and training, are being spent.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneHer Majesty's inspectors inspect trade union studies in the public sector as part of their normal duties. Some 80 per cent. of shop stewards' courses take place, by negotiations between unions and LEAs, in colleges of further education. Over one-third of such colleges offering trade union studies were visited as part of a survey by Her Majesty's Inspectorate in 1979.