HC Deb 16 May 1989 vol 153 cc167-8W
32. Mr. Hardy

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the operations of the employment training scheme in south Yorkshire.

Mr. Nicholls

Employment training in south Yorkshire continues to make excellent progress providing unemployed people with a wide range of training opportunities to help them acquire the skills and experience needed to get jobs.

Ms. Short

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether all new recruits to employment training during 1989–90 will continue to receive training premiums of £11.95, £11.25 and £10, depending on their circumstances; whether he has any plans to increase each of these training premiums in line with inflation; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholls

As was announced on 12 April 1989, from 22 May all new entrants to employment training will be paid a training premium of £10 per week. All trainees receiving a premium of £11.25 or £11.95 at 22 May will continue to do so until they leave the programme.

Ms. Short

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the profiles of the number of expected starts with training managers, excluding conversion from other programmes, on employment training for each month since September 1988, for each training agency area.

Mr. Nicholls

Profiles of the number of expected starts with training managers are for internal management purposes only.

Ms. Short

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what level of European social fund funding he is seeking for employment training; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Cope

The United Kingdom has submitted a number of applications for European social fund aid in respect of anticipated expenditure under the employment training programme which are being considered by the European Commission in the light of the total demands being made by the United Kingdom and other member states. The Commission has indicated that European social fund aid is to be allocated for the employment training programme but the amounts are not yet known. A decision will be given shortly.