HC Deb 15 July 1996 vol 281 cc396-7W
Ms Abbott

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action she has taken to ensure that the Government offices for the regions are aware of their responsibility to ensure TECs comply with the operating agreement in respect of equal opportunities. [36894]

Mr. Paice

The Department's operating guide for Government regional offices makes specific reference to the requirements relating to equality of opportunity. Training and enterprise council performance, including equality of opportunity, forms part of the regular dialogue between Government offices and the Department.

Ms Abbott

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many TECs have complied with an equal opportunities strategy under paragraph 8 of the TEC operating agreement. [36893]

Mr. Paice

All 74 training and enterprise councils or chambers of commerce, training and enterprise have agreed, and are taking steps to implement, an equal opportunities strategy in accordance with their contracts with the Government.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make it her policy to ensure that TECs spend a larger proportion fo their budgets on management training for small firms. [36682]

Mr. Paice

The Government are currently consulting businesses and their support organisations on the simplification of their business support. The purpose of the consultation, which ends in September, is to allow TECs and others greater flexibility in meeting their clients' needs. We look to TECs to tackle management development needs in local companies but have no plans to require TECs to dedicate a specific proportion of their funds to that area.

The TEC contract specifies activity in the skills for small business scheme by which TECs specifically assist small businesses to develop their own in-house training expertise. In addition, it is open to TECs to use the discretionary fund resources to target their small business sector.