§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action heads of his Department's executive agencies are taking to safeguard the provision of pre-retirement courses; and if he will make a statement. [9140]
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe heads of the Scottish Office executive agencies recognise the importance of providing effective support for staff about to retire. The method used to provide that support can vary from agency to agency and is a matter for each chief executive, but many of them use facilities provided through the Scottish Office.