HC Deb 17 April 2000 vol 348 cc357-8W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what provision has been made for representatives of the Humber colleges to be members of the Humber Task Force overseeing the transition from TECs to learning and skills councils. [117832]

Mr. Wicks

The role of the Humber task group is not to oversee the transition of the TEC into the Learning and Skills Council but rather to collect information from current funding bodies (such as TECs, FEFC, and Local Education Authorities) on the range and volume of provision currently being funded in each area. The aim is to ensure that sufficient funds will be available in each area to at least maintain current levels of provision and to avoid disruption for learners resulting from the introduction of the new arrangements.

Since they are not funding bodies there is no requirement for a direct representative of Humber colleges on the Humber task group, although a college principal who is a chair of one of the four Local Learning Partnerships has been invited to join the task group.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in how many TEC areas in Yorkshire and Humberside local further education colleges are not directly represented on task forces overseeing the transition from TECs to learning and skills councils. [117833]

Mr. Wicks

There are nine TEC areas in Yorkshire and the Humber region. Four Learning and Skills Councils are planned for the region and there are, therefore, four task groups in the region. The role of these task groups is not to oversee the transition of the TECs to the Learning and Skills Council but rather to collect information from current funding bodies (such as TEC, FEFC, and Local Education Authorities) on the range and volume of provision currently being funded in each area. The aim is to ensure that sufficient funds will be available in each area to at least maintain current levels of provision and to avoid disruption for learners resulting from the introduction of the new arrangements.

Since they are not funding bodies there are no representatives of local colleges on any of the task groups in each region, although a college principal does sit on the South Yorkshire task group because of the wider remit that the group has identified to link LSC development with objective 1 status for South Yorkshire.