HC Deb 03 June 1986 vol 98 c484W
Dr. Godman

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much public money was spent on training in agriculture in each of the last five years.

Mrs. Fenner

Information is not available on the total public funding of adult education and training in agriculture undertaken by local education authorities at county agricultural colleges. Central Government funding of training in the agriculture industry in Great Britain in the last five years was as follows:

Government's policy towards the extent to which (a) the fishing industry and (b) agriculture contribute from their own resources to training in their respective industries.

Mrs. Fenner

The Government attach considerable importance to vocational training in both the fishing and agriculture industries and look to both industries to contribute towards the costs of such training. In the case of the fishing industry this is through the Sea Fish Industry Authority levy, although in recent years the Government have increased significantly the contribution to training from public funds. So far as agricultural training is concerned, the industry's contribution is mainly through the time, on-farm activities and financial help contributed by individual farmers to some 650 training groups linked to the Agricultural Training Board. However, at our instigation the board itself is now having to meet from industry and other sources a greater share of its own expenditure.

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