§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to devolve the management of skills budgets to regions other than the North-east, North-west, South-east and East. [85959]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisWe have asked regional development agencies and local learning and skills councils in the North-east, North-west, South-east and East of England to draw up proposals for pilots to test how they 93W can pool and co-ordinate adult skills budgets in their regions to improve the delivery of training and skills provision to both employers and individuals. The pilots will start in April 2003 and will run for two years. They will be carefully monitored and evaluated. PDAs and LLSCs in other regions are also looking at ways of working together more closely outside the formal pilot arrangements and I greatly welcome this.