HC Deb 17 November 1992 vol 214 cc154-5W
Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will raise the maximum age limit of the aim group for employment training.

Mr. McLoughlin

Employment training is open to unemployed people up to the age of 59 who meet the general eligibility conditions. However, those aged 50 and over do not fall within any of the categories of unemployed people who have priority for places. Under training for work, which is to replace employment training from April 1993, age will not be a factor in determining priority.

Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of the working population are on work-related Government training programmes in each region.

Mr. McLoughlin

The information is shown in the following table:

Participants on work-related Government training programmes June 1992
Region Work-related Government training schemes1 Percentage of civilian work force in employment
South East2 57,000 0.7
Greater London 29,000 0.8
East Anglia 8,000 0.9
South West 22,000 1.1
West Midlands 32,000 1.4
East Midlands 22,000 1.3
Yorkshire and Humberside 34,000 1.6
North West 46,000 1.7
North 32,000 2.6
Wales 20,000 1.7
Scotland 43,000 1.9
1 Includes all participants on government training and employment programmes who are receiving some work experience on their placement but who do not have a contract of employment.
2 Including Greater London.