§ Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria he uses to judge the success of the careers service; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsThe standards expected of the local education authority-delivered careers service in England are set out in the "Guidance for Local Education Authorities in England and Wales" issued jointly in 1988 by my predecessor and the Secretary of State for Wales. Annual objectives and numerical targets are a condition for receipt of direct grant under the careers service strengthening scheme.
The careers service inspectorate monitors annual performance against objectives and targets and carries out a full inspection of each service at about five-yearly intervals. Reports from the inspectorate provide the information on which I judge the effectiveness of individual services.
My right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Sir N. Fowler) announced last year that reports on 470W inspections started after September 1989 will be published. Copies of previous reports, including a recent report on the excellent service in Bolton, are available in the Library.