South Thames Training and Enterprise Council

HC Deb 16 January 1995 vol 252 cc330-1W

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made on the arrangements to ensure continuity of training and business support programmes following the appointment of an administrative receiver to manage the affairs of the South Thames training and enterprise council.

Mr. Paice

As foreshadowed in the minute laid before the House on 21 December 1994 by the Employment Department and the Department of the Environment, letters of comfort have been issued to certain providers of training and business support programmes within the area covered by South Thames training and enterprise council. That process is continuing. The minute said that some of the indemnities were likely to be called in and that has now occurred. Accordingly, the first payments will be made shortly from class V Employment Department vote 1 and from class VII Department of the Environment vote 3. It continues to be the Government's objective, in conjunction with the receiver, to help maintain so far as possible training and business support for those on Government-funded programmes previously run by South Thames TEC.