§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what reason the individual learning account system was not accessible by learning providers between 4.15 pm and 6.30 pm on Friday 23 November. [23107]
§ John Healey[holding answer 17 December 2001]: On Friday 23 November the ILA website experienced heavy traffic, with 22,481 successful hits. As a result access may have been difficult at any time. From 5.00 pm on 23 November work was carried out to enable the website to be closed at 6.30 pm. During this process access to the system was restricted.
§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) to ask the Secretary of State for Education, which learning providers attended the individual learning account focus group meeting at the Department for Education and Skills on 25 July; and what recommendations were made; [23113]
299W(2) what action was taken by her Department following the advice received by those attending her Department's individual learning account focus group on 25 July on the exploitation of the system. [23112]
§ John HealeyAs part of the workshop on 25 July the specific details of the new learning provider agreement were discussed and providers were asked to comment on what additional guidance they felt would help them comply with the principles of the agreement. We also advised providers of our intent to introduce a learner leaflet to help individuals make a more informed choice about the learning they undertook.
An initial draft of new learning provider guidance incorporating, where possible, suggestions made by providers at these workshops was produced on 5 October. The final draft of this document was put on hold due to the early closure of the ILA programme. The learner leaflet was completed and from the end of August was issued to all individuals who opened an ILA.
The individuals who attended the workshop on 25 July were: Libby Woodhatch—Seafish Training Association; Tim Addison—Future Open College; Neil Eades—Best Training; Tessa Mitchell—Manor Community College; Richard Marshall—Imperial College; and Fiona Nouri—Royal College of Art.
§ Paul HolmesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether her Department has written contracts with training organisations providing services to ILA holders. [23438]
§ John HealeyThe Department does not have written contracts with training organisations providing training to ILA account holders.
§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many arrests have been made in connection with fraud of the Government's individual learning accounts scheme. [23548]
§ John Healey39 arrests have been made and one person has been charged in relation to allegations of fraud in connection with the operation of the individual learning account programme.
§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 11 December 2001,Official Report, column 814W, on individual learning accounts, if she will enable the individual learning account holders to use their accounts as soon as the system has been proofed against fraud and theft. [23583]
§ John HealeyAccount holders will be able to pursue any legitimate learning booked before the programme closed on 23 November. However, we have now withdrawn the current ILA programme, and there are therefore no plans to reinstate access to the individual learning account system for account holders.
§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 11 December 2001,Official Report, column 814W, on individual learning accounts, if she will make it her policy to give such individual learning account holders priority in the new system after it is established. [23585]
300W
§ John HealeyWe are developing plans for supporting adult learners which build on the successful elements of the ILA programme. It is too early to say who or what learning will be eligible for support under those plans.