§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Enviornment what was(a) the historic cost and (b) the cost at 1994 prices of the Rural Development Commission's (i) training workshops and (ii) total facility in Salisbury.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe cost of the training workshops in 1994 prices is £40,612 with the total Rural Development Commission facility in Salisbury costing £207,816. This compares with the estimated cost of the workshops in 1988, the year in which the commission was established, of £37,420 against a total cost of £191,507.
§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the independent review of the Rural Development Commission' straining activities.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe Rural Development Commission is required to carry out periodic value for money reviews of all its economic and social development programmes. As
Discipline New entrants training scheme Open courses Marginal cost of training per apprentice (NETS) Total cost of training per apprentice including fixed costs Marginal cost per student Total cost per student Woodwork 3,876 4,956 361 771 Forgework 6,004 8,178 146 360 Furniture 8,241 9,969 68 303 Upholstery 3,030 5,162 386 865 Saddlery 4,438 6,998 71 364 Thatching (nets only) 3,500 3,500 0 0 GRP plastics 3,129 4,919 165 558 ENG fabrication (nets only) 3,042 3,042 0 0 Farriery (nets only) 6,500 6,500 0 0 Wheelwrighting 5,440 5,440 279 553 Notes:
1. Marginal costs include salaries and other related costs of tutors.
2. Fixed costs include an apportionment of administration and other overhead costs.
3. For some disciplines the running of the courses has been contracted out and this is why there is no difference between marginal and fixed costs.
4. For open courses the costs are net and take account of fees paid by students.
§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the Rural Development Commission's 1993 strategy document.
§ Mr. AtkinsI have today arranged for copies of the Rural Development Commission's document, "Rural Development Strategy for the 1990s", published in December 1993, to be placed in the Library of each House.
§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date he was informed by the Rural Development Commission of the possible winding down of its direct training commitment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsMy right hon. Friend has not been informed by the Rural Development Commission of a100W part of this process the commission engaged ECOTEC Research and Consulting Ltd to carry out a review of its training services which support economic development. I have today arranged for copies of ECOTEC's report of its review to be placed in the Library of each House.
§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date officials were informed by the Rural Development Commission of the possible winding down of their direct training commitment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsOfficials in the Department were informed that the rural development commissioners were considering various options for the future provision of training, including the possible winding down of the facilities at the commission's Salisbury offices, following the commissioners' meeting on 22 November 1994. A final decision has yet to be taken on the future of the direct training facilities. The commissioners are planning to discuss this issue further later this month.
§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the(a) marginal cost and (b) total cost of training a craftsman in each of the skills offered on the various training schemes of the Rural Development Commission based in Salisbury.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe marginal and fixed costs are as follows:
possible winding down of its direct training commitment. Department officials informed my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Sir Paul Beresford, on 14 December 1994 that the commissioners were considering various options for the future provision of the commission's direct training services which assist rural economic development.
§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by skill the number of craftsmen trained by Rural Development Commission staff based in Salisbury for each year since the facility was built.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe number of craftsmen and craftswomen who have had all or some of their training provided by Rural Development Commission staff based in Salisbury is as follows:
101W
Table 1: Number of apprentices trained NETS 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 Farriery 115 113 117 118 122 119 91 94 102 115 125 105 25 Thatching 33 34 30 25 29 16 24 24 28 21 29 22 25 Forgework 22 27 39 40 36 38 32 38 37 44 26 19 25 Saddlery 16 17 15 14 14 14 12 13 16 14 15 15 15 Furniture 16 21 28 28 35 36 32 35 49 41 26 31 24 Upholstery 4 8 11 18 12 17 18 11 13 12 7 12 24 Woodworking 12 14 27 51 54 59 50 55 64 60 53 37 36 Wheelwrighung — — 4 4 9 3 3 2 2 7 4 9 5 General Engineering/Fabrication 10 19 22 18 13 13 12 13 16 20 13 12 20 Agricultural Miscellaneous Repairs 12 22 27 29 18 14 17 9 5 16 — — — Plastics 6 12 12 11 14 11 12 7 11 16 9 9 6 General Building 1 8 13 14 3 1 — — — — — — — Dry Stone Walling 6 3 9 6 — — — — — — — — — Totals 253 298 354 376 359 341 303 301 343 366 307 271 205
Table 2: Number of craftworkers attending open courses Open courses 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 Farriery — — — — 21 — 19 — 21 18 4 16 — Thatching — — — — 37 24 75 27 30 2 2 8 — Forgework 20 42 55 25 9 25 42 13 28 36 23 18 18 Saddlery 25 26 24 37 18 12 28 49 67 53 48 50 50 Furniture 30 35 42 38 45 99 74 61 40 37 52 53 51 Upholstery 20 30 30 25 26 28 14 21 20 25 11 16 13 Woodworking 5 7 — 23 39 21 33 45 67 30 27 24 14 Wheelwrighting — — — — 7 — 5 3 — 5 4 — 14 Welding 12 17 8 8 7 4 7 — 2 2 — — — Microcomputers — 206 210 99 22 — — — — — — — — Plastics 12 20 8 18 16 11 27 16 10 6 8 10 15 Pottery — — — 5 14 — — — — — — — — Vehicle Electrics 12 12 12 9 19 51 11 — 31 — — — — Builders Estimating 25 92 22 30 123 157 97 183 22 — — — — Wood Turning 6 12 8 8 — — — — — — — — — Electrical Estimating — — — — — 4 — — — — — — — Supervisors course — — — — — 34 — — — — — — — Totals 167 499 419 325 403 470 432 418 338 214 179 195 175