§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the extent to which companies financed from public funds to provide career information are paying dividends to shareholders and cash transfers to parent companies; and if he will make a statement. [51871]
§ Dr. HowellsThe careers service in England is provided by 66 companies operating under competitively tendered contracts. Most are companies limited by guarantee that operate as non profit-making bodies. A number of the contracts are held by commercial companies and where these have been able to generate a surplus through the efficient delivery of their contracts legitimate dividends to shareholders or cash transfers to a parent company may be possible.