HC Deb 16 October 1996 vol 282 c994W
Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the latest estimate of the development costs for establishing national vocational qualifications; and if she will make a statement. [40755]

Mr. Paice

Expenditure through the Department's programmes on development costs of national vocational qualifications between 1988 and March 1996 is £106 million. This figure includes £83 million from the standards programme and £23 million grant in aid to the National Council for Vocational Qualifications.

Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her Department's estimate of the number of people who have obtained a national vocational qualification. [40754]

Mr. Paice

According to the National Council for Vocational Qualifications and the Scottish Vocational Education Council, there have been 1,203,159 national vocational qualifications and 33,707 Scottish vocational qualifications awarded respectively up till 30 June 1996.

Provisional estimates from the spring 1996 Labour Force Survey show that 1.2 million people reported that they held an NVQ or SVQ.