§ Mr. BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information is available to employers on computer assisted local labour information, developed by the Training Agency; what is the extent of the use of the system by employers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CopeThe key information, in the main collected from employers, held on the computer assisted local labour market information system (CALLMI), includes work force characteristics, recruitment practices and difficulties, use of new technology, and training-related data. The system itself is not directly accessible to employers, but summary analyses and reports by the Training Agency are readily available to employers and employer organisations. It is not possible to say how many employers have received copies of these reports nor to what use they have been put.
My Department, through the Training Agency and the establishment of training and enterprise councils, is committed to ensuring that all concerned with training, vocational education and enterprise have access to relevant and readily available information. CALLMI is a key tool in this process. We shall continue to seek ways of developing effective means of co-operation with other collectors and users of local labour market information, at the same time respecting the need for confidentiality concerning individual employers' data.