Equal Opportunities (Hansard, 6 February 1989)

§ Mr. Cope

From 1 April 1989 the Government are to enlarge and redirect their practical help to increase equal opportunities for members of ethnic minority groups through training.

First, the Government will increase the provision within employment training for unemployed people who need training in English as a second language. There will be extra finance for supplementary grants for this kind of training; extra money for the assessment of people who need such training; and staff involved in the programme will receive training in the relevant expertise and, for the year beginning 1 April 1989, consultancy advice. These improvements to employment training will cost £1.3 million per year.

Secondly, there will be a major initiative to increase the use of open and flexible learning in English as a second language. A total of £200,000 per year will be available to identify good open learning materials, to commission new material if necessary, and to promote its use.

Thirdly, the Government are to extend the new programme "Business Growth Training" which was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 24 January (Official Report, 25 January, column 550). In inner city target areas, firms receiving help under the programme for outside advice on training will be eligible for up to two-thirds of the total cost of their project, rather than the normal one-half maximum. A further £5,000— on top of the £15,000 maximum—would be available for such projects, whether or not in inner cities, to fund training which helped to increase equal opportunities for ethnic minority employees of the firm concerned. I am asking the Training Agency to ensure that each of its area offices with a concentration of ethnic minority employees in its area sets up appropriate projects of this kind. The annual cost of this extension of "Business Growth Training" would be £1 million in a full year.

These new measures will supersede the present funding of the net running costs of industrial language training units totalling £2.2 million in 1988–89. Their original purpose was to provide training in basic English for first generation immigrants in employment. But while members of ethnic minorities in the work force are employed largely by private sector firms, the proportion of private sector employers helped by the units is small. The location of units does not fully reflect the distribution of ethnic minorities in the work force. And, the units focus on people in employment, whereas those in the greatest need are unemployed.

The new arrangements announced today will create new business opportunities for the units. In order to give them time to adjust, their direct funding will therefore be extended from 31 March to 11 August 1989.

I am confident that the new arrangements will help members of the ethnic minorities more and more effectively.