Tony WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many learning and skills councils he estimates will be set up; and if they will be(a) statutorily required to publish annual reports, (b) statutorily required to publish annual accounts, (c) subject to the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary or Local government Ombudsman, (d) subject to audit by the National Audit Office, (e) subject to audit by the Audit Commission, (f) statutorily required to admit the public to committee meetings, (g) statutorily required to hold public 402W meetings, (h) statutorily required to publish the agendas of meetings, (i) statutorily required to publish the minutes of meetings, (j) statutorily required to publish the papers or documents for meetings, (k) statutorily required to keep and make publicly available a register of members' interests, (l) statutorily required to consult and report to local authorities in their areas on their plans and policies and (m) statutorily subject to scrutiny by local authorities in their areas of operation. [142397]
§ Mr. WicksThere will only be one learning and skills council in existence as it is a national body. However, I can confirm that the LSC will have 47 local offices known as local LSCs, this will ensure that the education and training needs of individuals, communities and business will be catered for according to their unique and varied circumstances.
The council is a single unitary body, which will be required by statute to publish an annual report and accounts, which I must and will lay before each House of Parliament. I will also arrange for copies of them to be published as appropriate.
The council will come under the jurisdiction of the parliamentary ombudsman.
As a non-departmental public body, the LSC will be audited by the National Audit Office in the same way as other NDPBs.
The council will operate within a code of conduct which sets out essential information for its members, committee members and advisers about the organisation's values and its expectations of them as they carry out their duties. The council will seek to follow best practice in making available information to the public and will consult their users on a wide range of issues which may be done by means of public meetings. The council secretariat and local council secretariats will maintain registers of the financial and other relevant interests of its members which will be available for inspection. Those wishing to inspect the registers may do so.
In preparing a plan the local council has a statutory duty to consult the relevant local authority in their area. The Learning and Skills Act 2000 also states that in preparing a plan a local council must have regard to strategies prepared by local authorities under section 4 of the Local Government Act 2000.