HC Deb 10 December 1992 vol 215 cc790-1W
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make it her policy to ring-fence money for training and enterprise councils to secure specialist equipment to assist disabled trainees with their placements.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The funding arrangements between the Employment Department and TECs take into account the higher costs incurred in providing support arrangements, for example, specialist equipment.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to change these arrangements which give TECs the flexibility to meet the needs of individual providers and trainees as they arise.

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make it her policy to instruct training and enterprise councils to give guaranteed training placements to all unemployed disabled people.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Under employment training, people with disabilities who are unemployed qualify for places regardless of the length of their unemployment and are included in the aim group. People with disabilities will have a priority for places in training for work, to be introduced in April 1993. Under youth training, the Government extend their guarantee of a place to those young people who are aged over 18 years who were not previously able to join the programme because of disability or ill-health, or who had to leave the programme for the same reasons and are seeking re-entry.

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will instruct training and enterprise councils to undertake local needs surveys on an annual basis in order to ascertain numbers of disabled potential trainees.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Training and enterprise councils (TECs) are required to assess the training needs of their local area each year in consultation with other local interests including the Employmnent Service. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State ensures that, in particular, the needs of people with disabilities are taken into account before a TEC's annual business plan is agreed.