HC Deb 14 March 1991 vol 187 cc675-6W
Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the threatened closure of the Apex Trust's youth project; what funding his Department provides to this project; how many people have been trained at the project since it was first established; how many people are currently being trained by the project; what alternative training places would be provided if the project was closed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson

My Department has a national employment training (ET) contract with the Apex Trust which runs between 28 May 1990 and 31 March 1991, and is for 1,477 places at a unit cost of £52 for each trainee week delivered which gives Apex an earning capacity of £3.38 million.

The Apex Trust's training centre in York has been operating since 1985, initially offering community programme and since September 1988 delivering ET. Figures supplied by the Apex Trust show that since the launch of ET in September 1988 250 trainees have trained at the centre, and that there are currently 37 trainees in training. North Yorkshire TEC has offered the Apex Trust a rundown contract between 1 April and the end of November to enable existing trainees to complete their training.