§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take the opportunity of International Youth Year to extend the Manpower Services Commission's information technology centres programme.
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§ Mr. Peter MorrisonOur original pilot information technology centre programme launched in 1981 was intended to fund 20 centres. The programme has been so successful that we have now established over 150 centres, and our current plans are to expand the programme to 175 centres.
§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment which Manpower Services Commission information technology centres currently receive topping up grants from the Department of Trade and Industry, listed by name and region.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThose information technology centres currently in receipt of funding from the Department of Trade and Industry are as follows:
- London Region (14)
- Brent
- Brixton
- Camden
- Covent Garden
- Croydon
- Docklands
- Greenwich
- Hackney
- Haringey
- Hounslow
- Islington
- Lewisham
- Southall
- Southwark (Microtech)
- Midlands (25)
- Aston (Birmingham)
- Bedworth
- Boston and South Holland
- Burton-on-Trent
- Cannock
- Corby
- Derby
- Dudley
- East Lindsay
- Grantham
- Hanley (Stoke)
- Leicester
- Lincoln
- Mansfield
- Newcastle under Lyme
- Northampton
- North Leicestershire
- Nottingham
- Rugby
- Sandwell
- Solihull
- Stafford
- Walsall
- Wolverhampton
- Worcester
- Northern (9)
- Aycliffe
- Cleveland
- Cramlington
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hebburn
- North Tyneside
- Peterlee
- Sunderland
- North West (24)
- Barrow
- Blackburn
- Blackpool (Fylde Coast)
- Bolton
- Burnley
- Bury
- Halton
- Knowsley
- Lancaster
- Manchester (6502)
30 - Manchester (ORT)
- Oldham
- Preston
- Rochdale
- Salford
- Sefton
- South Liverpool
- Southport
- St. Helens
- Tameside
- Warrington
- West Cumbria
- West Lancashire (Skelmersdale)
- Wigan
- Scotland (19)
- Aberdeen
- Bellshill
- Bridgeton
- Clydebank
- Cranhill
- Cumbernauld
- Dumfries
- Dundee
- East Kilbride
- Edinburgh City
- Falkirk
- Glenrothes
- Govan
- Inverness (Highland)
- Irvine
- Levermouth (East Fife)
- Stirling
- West Fife
- West Lothian
- South East (25)
- Ashford
- Basildon
- Bracknell
- Brighton
- Cambridge
- Crawley
- Gravesham
- Guildford
- Harlow
- Hastings
- Ipswich
- Isle of Wight
- Maidstone
- Medway
- Milton Keynes
- Norwich
- Peterborough
- Portsmouth
- Reading
- Rochford (South East Essex)
- Slough
- Southampton
- South East Surry
- Staines
- Stevenage
- South West (11)
- Bath
- Bristol (St. Anne's)
- Christchurch
- Cornwall
- Dartington
- Exeter
- Gloucester
- North Bristol
- Plymouth
- Swindon
- Taunton
- Wales (10)
- Caernarfon
- Cardiff
- Clwyd (Kelsterton)
- East Dyfed (Llanelli)
- Ebbw Vale
- Neath
- Newport
31 - Treforest (Pontypridd)
- Vale of Clwyd
- Wrexham
- Yorkshire and Humberside (12)
- Barnsley
- Bradford
- Grimsby
- Halifax
- Harehills (Leeds)
- Hull
- Kirklees
- Scunthorpe
- Sheffield
- Shipley
- South Leeds
- York
§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people are currently receiving training in information technology centres which get top up grants from the Department of Trade and Industry.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonAt the end of September 1984 some 4,770 young people were being trained in information technology centres which are currently in receipt of funding from the Department of Trade and Industry. All these centres, of course, also receive substantial funding from the Manpower Services Commission for training provided under the youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has consulted the information technology centres on their views on the impending withdrawal of topping up grants.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonInformation technology centre sponsors and managers have been advised from the outset that the funding from the Department of Trade and Industry was for pump-priming purposes for a limited period only. As, however, I announced in my reply of 7 November 1984, at columns 2–3, to my hon. Friend the Member for Thanet, North (Mr. Gale), I have agreed that the Manpower Services Commission should provide any necessary additional salary support for centres' specialist adult staff for the period until 31 October 1985 for those centres whose funding from the Department of Trade and Industry comes to an end. This, of course, is additional to the normal funding which the commission make to centres for training provided under the youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that the information technology centres receive sufficient funds to continue their role as training grounds for new technology.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI refer the hon. Member to my reply of 7 November 1984, at columns 2–3, to my hon. Friend the Member for Thanet, North (Mr. Gale).