§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his timetable for the privatisation of each skill centre.
§ Mr. CopeAn advertisement offering the Skills Training Agency for sale will be published later in the summer. Bids for all or part of STA will be invited. I expect that negotiations with potential purchasers will take place in the autumn, and that a sale will be concluded after Royal Assent to the Employment Bill.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans his Department has formulated to ensure that the quality and participation rate of training are safeguarded within the Skills Training Agency after privatisation.
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§ Mr. CopeThe customer will be the primary judge of training quality in the STA after privatisation. The normal monitoring will apply to programmes that they contract with the Government to provide.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all information required for collective bargaining purposes will be made available to he recognised trade unions in the Skills Training Agency.
§ Mr. CopeThe Department will disclose information required for collective bargaining purposes in accordance with their legal obligations. Since the announcement that the STA is to be offered for sale, there have been 10 meetings with the recognised trade unions, eight special information bulletins, and many letters responding to questions asked by the trade unions.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he plans to issue the sale memorandum for the skill centres.
§ Mr. CopeThe information memorandum will be ready for issue to prospective purchasers later in the summer.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in theOfficial Report, all monies received by the Skills Training Agency from the Manpower Services Commission, Training Commission and Training Agency in each year since 1984; if he will detail the developments in skills training provision with reference to each specific allocation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CopeMoneys received by the Skills Training Agency from the MSC, Training Commission, Training Agency for each financial year since 1984 are as follows:
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£000's 1984–85 Training Opportunities Programme 71,339 Youth Training Scheme 3,755 Total 75,094 1985–86 Old Job Training Scheme 63,078 Youth Training Scheme 1,615 Total 64,693 1986–87 Old Job Training Scheme 65,354
£000's Youth Training Scheme 1,467 Jobclub and Restart1 862 Total 67,683 1987–88 Old Job Training Scheme 58,472 New Job Training Scheme 1,883 Youth Training Scheme 1,364 Jobclub and Restart1 651 Total 62,370 1988–89 Old Job Training Scheme 29,232 Employment Training 7,283 New Job Training Scheme 1,606 Youth Training Scheme 1,412 Jobclub and Restart1 340 Total 39,873 1 Sponsored by the Employment Service.