HC Deb 11 February 1988 vol 127 cc315-6W
Dr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when his Department will reach a decision on the application made by Reading borough council in June 1987 for approved training status under section 37 of the Race Relations Act 1976; and if he will explain the reasons for the delay in dealing with the application.

Mr. Nicholls

Reading borough council submitted an application for designation as a training body under

Average gross weekly earnings
Full-time sales whose pay was not affected by absence1
£ per week
April Manual Non Manual 2Group 2 3Group 3 4Group 5 5Group 6
Current prices
1979 93.0 113.0 129.0 113.1 119.2 114.4
1980 111.7 141.3 167.7 139.6 147.5 145.6
1981 121.9 163.1 189.3 179.6 168.9 162.9
1982 133.8 178.9 211.0 185.8 184.9 176.9
1983 143.6 194.9 230.9 197.6 200.9 195.3
1984 152.7 209.0 251.6 208.1 216.2 212.0
1985 163.6 225.0 270.3 223.1 229.5 229.1
1986 174.4 244.9 298.2 242.2 248.6 246.8
1987 185.5 265.9 328.2 261.2 267.0 265.5
Percentage Increase6
1979–80 20.1 25.0 30.0 23.4 23.7 27.3
1980–81 9.1 15.4 12.9 28.7 14.5 11.9
1981–82 9.8 9.7 11.5 3.5 9.5 8.6
1982–83 7.3 8.9 9.4 6.4 8.7 10.4
1983–84 7.8 9.0 9.2 5.8 8.5 9.1
1984–85 7.1 7.7 7.4 7.2 6.2 8.1
1985–86 6.6 8.8 10.3 8.6 8.3 7.7
1986–87 6.4 8.6 10.1 7.8 7.4 7.6
Constant 1987 prices7
1979 174.4 211.9 241.9 212.0 223.5 214.5
1980 172.0 217.6 258.2 215.0 227.1 224.2
1981 167.5 224.2 260.2 246.8 232.1 223.9
1982 168.1 224.7 265.1 233.4 232.3 222.2
1983 173.4 235.4 278.9 238.7 242.7 235.9
1984 175.4 240.0 288.9 239.0 248.3 243.5
1985 175.7 241.7 290.3 239.6 246.5 246.1
1986 181.8 255.3 310.8 252.4 259.1 257.2
1987 185.5 265.9 328.2 261.2 267.0 265.5
Percentage increase6 7
1979–80 -1.4 2.7 6.8 1.4 1.6 4.5
1980–81 -2.6 3.0 0.7 14.8 2.2 -0.1
1981–82 0.3 0.3 1.9 -5.4 0.1 -0.7
1982–83 3.2 4.7 5.2 2.3 4.5 6.2
1983–84 2.5 3.6 3.8 0.6 3.2 3.7

section 37(3)(b) of the Race Relations Act 1976 on 1 June 1987. Officials from my Department contacted the council on 11 June to seek additional information, and on 28 July met officials from the council. In the light of that meeting, and further contacts, the council submitted revised proposals on 5 January 1988. These proposals, along with additional supporting material dated 29 January, but received by my Department on 5 February, are now under consideration.

A decision on the application will be reached shortly.