HL Deb 14 January 1991 vol 524 cc72-3WA
Baroness Seear

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in view of the employment training funding reductions, non-custodial disposals to be offered to the courts through the current Criminal Justice Bill will have the capacity to tackle reoffending through the provision of employment and training services.

Viscount Ullswater

The Government fully recognise the importance of training and other measures to secure the employment and rehabilitation of offenders, whether in relation to supervision in the community or in custody.

The changes in funding of Employment Training are designed to use more efficiently the money provided by the Government. Training and Enterprise Councils are responsible for ensuring that provision for special groups, including ex-offenders, is available in their locality, and they have been given resources to do this.

Baroness Seear

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they intend taking to ensure that the proposed cuts in the training budget for 1991–92 will not reduce the level of training for ex-offenders in the community.

Viscount Ullswater

For 1991–92 Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) will be contractually bound to offer suitable Youth Training (YT) places to all eligible young people, including those who may be ex-offenders. TECs will similarly be bound by contract to give priority for places on Employment Training (ET) to those covered by the Government's guarantee and aim. Ex-offenders in those groups will thus continue in 1991–92 to enjoy the same priority for places as in 1990–91. In addition, TECs will still be required to ensure that, in planning their ET provision overall, adequate and appropriate provision is made for those at a disadvantage in the labour market, including ex-offenders.

We shall continue to appraise TECs' plans and monitor their performance to make sure all these requirements are met. Provision through the Employment Service is being expanded to help the unemployed, including ex-offenders, find jobs. There will be increased expenditure on services for the newly unemployed and on special measures for longer-term unemployed people—up to 100,000 more opportunities in Jobclubs, Job Interview Guarantee and local initiatives.