HC Deb 02 April 1992 vol 222 cc427-8W
Mr. Gapes

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much money has been given in grants from her Department to the London East training and enterprise council in each year since 1988.

Mr. McLoughlin

This Department has funded London East Training and Enterprise Council since 1 April 1991.

Details of funding for each financial year since then are:

Financial year £ million
1991–92 26.415
1992–93 32.958

Funding is split into five blocks and allocated to specific areas. The blocks are youth training and education, adult training, enterprise, local initiative fund and management fee.

Mr. Gapes

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how expenditure by training and enterprise councils is monitored.

Mr. McLoughlin

Training and enterprise councils (TECs) are paid sums specified in their business plan and claimed in accordance with the provisions of the TEC operating agreement. This is renewed annually and signed on behalf of my right hon. Friend by the Department's regional directors. A copy of the operating agreement is in the Library.

Invoices submitted by TECs are subject to regular appraisal and monitoring by finance control staff in ED regional offices. Departmental procedures are designed to ensure that public and parliamentary accountability is maintained.

Mr. Gapes

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the names of all members of the board of the London East training and enterprise council since its establishment and their period of office.

Mr. McLoughlin

Details of board membership are available from London East training and enterprise council's corporate plans or direct from the acting chief executive, Steve Crow.

Mr. Gapes

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much money has been given in grants by her Department to the London East training and enterprise council for business education partnerships and to which organisations, and for what amounts, in each year since 1988.

Mr. McLoughlin

This Department has funded London East training and enterprise council since 1 April 1991.

Details of funding for each financial year since then are:

Education business partnerships payments to TECs
Financial year £ million
1991–92 0.075,300
1992–93 0.046,175

Information on who the TEC contracts with and how much it pays them is commercial in confidence between the TEC and the organisations concerned.

Mr. Gapes

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff are employed by the London East training and enterprise council; and how many staff have left in the last year.

Mr. McLoughlin

Direct employment of staff by training and enterprise councils is entirely a matter for the TECs themselves. The hon. Gentleman may wish to contact the acting chief executive of London East TEC, Steve Crow.