HC Deb 25 July 1991 vol 195 cc873-4W
Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, further to his answer of 5 July,Official Report, column 218, if he will indicate what steps he is now taking to ensure adequate monitoring of the provision for people with learning difficulties within schemes for which he has ministerial responsibility.

Mr. Jackson

Each training and enterprise council is required to set out in its corporate and business plans how it intends to meet the needs of people with special training needs. These plans are subject to my approval, and that of the Secretary of State for Wales for TECs in Wales.

The contractual requirements common to all TECs include providing appropriate training to people with special training needs, including those with learning difficulties. The Department has produced guidance on how to plan for and deliver training to meet those needs.

TECs' performance against their plans are regularly discussed with officials of the Department. In addition, the training standards advisory service has a responsibility for appraising the quality of training offered by TECs.

Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, further to his answer of 4 July,Official Report, column 202, if he will now set targets for provision for people with learning difficulties.

Mr. Jackson

I have no plans to set such targets. The Government remain committed to the requirements on special training needs laid down in their agreements with TECs.

Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, further to his answer of 2 July,Official Report, column 108, what proportion of the £35 million package referred to in that answer will be applied (a) to provision in Wales, (b) to people with learning difficulties in the United Kingdom and (c) to people with learning difficulties in Wales.

Mr. Jackson

Some £2.5 million has been allocated to Wales. The Department's office for Wales will allocate the budget to TECs according to local need. It is not possible to say how much of the money will be spent on people with learning difficulties. However, the additional money is targeted on meeting special training needs alongside training for those in the guarantee and aim groups, some of whom will have learning difficulties.

Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, further to his answer of 4 July,Official Report, column 202, if he will make it his policy to ensure that information on the number of people with learning difficulties is collected in future.

Mr. Jackson

I have no plans to identify separately information on people with learning difficulties among those with other special training needs.

Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, (1) further to his answer of 2 July,Official Report, column 108, for each training and employment council how each such training and enterprise council (a) in Wales and (b) in other parts of the United Kingdom has set out its intentions in regard to people with special needs in general and people with learning difficulties in particular;

(2), further to his answer of 5 July, Official Report, column 218, whether he will set targets for the current year and future years in terms of provision for young people and adults with learning difficulties within the sphere of ministerial responsibilities.

Mr. Jackson

The TEC operating agreement states that each TEC must make suitable high-quality training available for all trainees who have disabilities, or other significant personal disadvantages which give rise to special training needs. TECs produce corporate and business plans on the basis of the operating agreement. TECs' corporate plans are public documents and are available in the House of Commons Library.

Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, further to his answer of 5 July,Official Report, column 218, if he will explain why the information requested is not available.

Mr. Jackson

Figures are collected on the number of people with disabilities in training, but these figures do not identify separately specific types of disability such as learning difficulties.