§ Mr. Anthony CoombsTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the average sum spent per employee on education training by British manufacturing industry; and what information he has about the equivalent sums in France, West Germany and Italy.
§ Mr. CopeIt is estimated that roughly £160 per employee per year was spent on training by British manufacturing industry in 1984. Direct comparison of this figure with spending by companies overseas is not possible. Better estimates of costs and volumes of training in Britain are expected to be available in 1988 as part of the study of funding of vocational education and training currently being undertaken by the Manpower Services Commission.
§ Mr. Anthony CoombsTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps Her Majesty's Government propose to take, in particular using tax incentives, to impress training expenditure in British manufacturing industry.
§ Mr. CopeEmployers have the chief responsibility for meeting their own skill needs. The Government have already given a lead by their own investment in training unemployed people and school leavers.
Special tax arrangements to encourage employers to provide training for their staff already exist. To make these more widely known the Manpower Services Commission plans to publish a booklet in December entitled "Tax, Training and Education : A Guide for Employers, Education and Training Providers".