HC Deb 28 January 1988 vol 126 cc347-8W
Mr. Hood

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is at present the average cost of training people in industrial skills.

Mr. John Cope

(holding answer 26 January 1988]: The most recent estimate of employer spending on training comes from a survey conducted on behalf of the Manpower Services Commission by IFF research in 1984. It estimated employers invest on average £200 per employee per head on all types of training. More up to date and more detailed information is expected to become available later this year as part of a study of funding of vocational education and training being carried out by the MSC.

Mr. Hood

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the total public investment in industrial skills, for each year since 1974, in 1986 values.

Mr. Cope

[holding answer 26 January 1988]: The information is not available in the form requested. However expenditure (at 1986 prices) by the Manpower Services Commission on vocational education and training each year since 1974 has been as follows:

£ million
1974–75 262
1975–76 482
1976–77 635
1977–78 635
1978–79 738
1979–80 763
1980–81 798
1981–82 971
1982–83 1,070
1983–84 1,211
1984–85 1,263
1985–86 1,295
1986–87 1,447

Mr. Hood

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are, for each year since 1974, the figures for people trained for industrial jobs.

Mr. Cope

[holding answer 26 January 1988]: The information is not available in the form requested. Estimates are available from the labour force survey for the number of economically active people of working age receiving any job-related training during a four week reference period in the Spring of each year. Those estimates are as follows:

million
1984 2.1
1985 2.5
1986 2.6

Estimates are not available prior to 1984.