§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether local enterprise companies and their contractors are required to comply with the codes of practice issued by the Government on access to official information.
§ Mr. StewartThe new code of practice on Government information came into force on 4 April 1994. The code applies to central Government Departments, their agencies 575W and a number of other public bodies. The local enterprise companies are limited companies and the code does not therefore apply to them or to their contractors.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for requiring local enterprise companies(a) to implement quality assurance arrangements in fulfilment of their training duties and (b) to fulfil equal opportunities requirements.
§ Mr. StewartMy right hon. Friend has no such proposals. The Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990 lays upon Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise the duty, which may not be delegated, of keeping under continuous review the suitability and adequacy of any training provided by the two bodies or by their agents. In respect of equal opportunities, each local enterprise company, as part of its contractual agreement with either of the two bodies, is committed to providing equal opportunities regardless of race, sex or disability in the delivery of all its training programmes.