Training (Hansard, 13 March 1990)

§ 18. Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any proposals to improve the level of training for new skills.

§ Mr. Howard
The Government are investing almost £3 billion this year in training, and in the introduction of training and enterprise councils across the country. Training and enterprise councils represent the most exciting training initiative this country has ever seen, arid I am delighted by the progress they are making and the support they are receiving.

§ 36. Mr. Dykes
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he plans to meet his European Economic Community counterparts to discuss training and retraining schemes and the exchange of ideas between different systems in European countries.

§ Mr. Nicholls
My right hon. and learned Friend has already visited Bonn to discuss training issues with his counterparts there and also held bilateral discussions in Dublin before attending the informal meeting of Labour and Social Affairs Ministers on 1 to 2 March, which included a review of EC training initiatives. It is hoped that a number of bilaterals with colleagues in other member states will be arranged within the next six months.

§ 27. Mr. Patrick Thompson
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the increase in annual expenditure by his Department on training since 1979 in(a) real terms and (b) cash terms.

§ Mr. Nicholls
Records are kept on the basis of the standard financial year for Government expenditure, which runs from 1 April to 31 March.
The increase in annual expenditure on training programmes from 1979–80 to 1989–90 in cash terms is £2,512 million. When expenditure is inflated to constant 1989–90 prices the increase is £1,966.4 million.

§ 49. Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the provision of training by employers.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The latest available figures show that 1986–87 £18 billion was spent by employers on training. This represents a very considerable investment in the skills of the British work force.
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§ 51. Mr. Janman
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the proportion of gross domestic product represented by the overall cost of all training undertaken in Britain.

§ Mr. Nicholls
It has been estimated that in 1986–87 the total costs of training, including the implicit cost to trainees of earnings forgone while on training, was about 8 per cent. of gross domestic product.

§ 59. Mr. Moss
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the overall cost of all training undertaken in Britain in 1986–87.

§ Mr. Nicholls
It has been estimated that the total costs of training, including the implicit cost to trainees of earnings forgone while on training, was about £33 billion in 1986–87.

§ Mr. Leighton
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment on what percentage of employment training places employers make additional contributions to the cost of training; and what is the average contribution.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The information requested is not available.

§ Mr. Skinner
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any proposals to increase jobs in the manufacturing sector through training programmes; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The overall aim of Government training programmes is to promote better arrangements for people to acquire and improve their skills and competence for work. Improved training arrangements will in turn lead to a more highly skilled and competent work force and a more competitive economy, thus promoting employment in manufacturing as elsewhere.