§ Mrs. Maureen Hicksasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the job training scheme.
§ Mr. CopeOver 13,000 trainees are currently participating in the scheme with the support and co-operation of rapidly increasing numbers of employers, both large and small. I regret the irresponsible attempts of trade unions to obstruct the new job training scheme, which is designed to bridge the gap between the skills that industry wants to employ and the skills that those out of work for six months or more have to offer. I am convinced that the scheme will go from strength to strength and that trade unions will fail in their attempt to prevent long-term unemployed people receiving the training they need for employment.