§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the establishment of the learning and skills councils. [134690]
§ Mr. WicksWe are making good progress in establishing the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). We have made a number of key senior appointments at both national and local level. These include the National Chair, National Chief Executive, National Council members and the Chairs of the LSC's Adult Learning Committee and Young Peoples Learning Committee. At the local level we have appointed all 47 local Chairs and local Executive Directors. Work continues apace to ensure that the LSC is operational from April 2001 and, to help ensure this, we remain on course to announce local Council members by the end of November and members of the LSC's Adult 39W Learning Committee and Young Peoples Learning Committee by December. The LSC is also working to ensure that its wider staffing requirements are met.