§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action heads of his Department's executive agencies are taking to safeguard the provision of pre-retirement courses in the event of such agencies seeking to make economies; and if he will make a statement. [9143]
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansThe Lord Chancellor has responsibility for four agencies: The Court Service, HM Land Registry, The Public Record Office and The Public Trust Office. As the question concerns a specific operational matter, the chief executives of the Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office have been asked to reply direct. This answer is, however, given on behalf of the Court Service as the Lord Chancellor's Department welfare service provides pre-retirement courses for the Court Service. Courses are provided to meet demand and there are no plans to discontinue this practice.
673WLetter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 18 January 1996:
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to respond to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 10 January 1996, regarding the action each Agency is taking to safeguard the provision of pre-retirement courses in the event of such Agencies seeking to make economies.The Public Trust Office does not run in-house pre-retirement courses due to the relatively small number of staff retiring each year. We do, however, offer external courses to such staff and there are no plans to discontinue this practice.Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 18 January 1996:
I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about the safeguarding of the provision of pre-retirement courses in the executive agencies for which he is responsible.Although the Public Record Office is making economies, it has safeguarded its provision of pre-retirement courses by maintaining the resources devoted to them at existing levels, and it plans to continue to do so.Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 18 January 1996:
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning the provision of pre-retirement courses. It has long been the practice within HM Land Registry to offer all staff approaching retirement age the opportunity of attending a pre-retirement course and there are no plans to restrict this facility. These courses may be run either in-house on a regional basis or by the purchase of places on courses run by other departments or organisations.I do hope that this answers the point raised with the Parliamentary Secretary but please contact me if I can be of any further assistance.