HC Deb 03 June 1997 vol 295 cc123-4W
Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate his Department has made of the amounts currently spent by employers on training; and if he will list equivalent figures for 1987 provided by the Training Agency in the study, Training in Britain (1989); and if he will make a statement. [1233]

Dr. Howells

Employers in the UK are estimated to have spent £10.6 billion on formal training courses and supervised on-the-job training in 1993. This estimate is the latest available and was published in the report `Employer Provided Training in the UK 1993'. An equivalent figure is not available from the 'Training in Britain' study because of differences in survey methods and the definitions of training used. The study estimated that total expenditure by employers in Great Britain in 1986–87 was £14.4 billion.

Estimating employers' total expenditure on training is inherently difficult. While the latest survey provides a more accurate estimate of expenditure than that previously available, on its own the estimate does not convey much about training behaviour. More significantly, the survey shows a rising trend in the number of employees receiving training, both on and off-the-job. However we know that many companies—especially smaller ones—face difficulties in obtaining the training their businesses need. That is why we have pledged to help them, particularly by making the Investors in People Standard more accessible to small firms, and through the development of a University for Industry.