HC Deb 21 November 1996 vol 285 c663W
Ms Mowlam

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of the Northern Ireland work force has no vocational qualifications. [4639]

Mr. Ancram

It is not possible to identify a definitive list of qualifications which are purely vocational as many—for example, higher and first degrees—come in both vocational and academic form. At winter 1995–96, the latest date for which figures are available, approximately 24 per cent. of the Northern Ireland work force had no formal qualifications of any kind.