HC Deb 10 January 2002 vol 377 cc953-4W
29. Andrew Selous

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she intends to lift the suspension of individual learning accounts. [23863]

John Healey

Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) will not be reinstated in their present form. However, I can give a cast-iron guarantee that this is not the end of Government funding for adult learning, or of Government support for all those who find a lack of money a barrier to returning to education, learning or training. We are developing future plans which build on the successful elements of the ILA programme.

Paul Holmes

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the premises of training organisations dealing with ILA holders were inspected with regard to(a) the training stations available and (b) the training qualifications of staff. [23436]

John Healey

[holding answer 18 December 2001]: The premises of training organisations dealing with ILA holders and the training qualifications of their staff were not inspected. However, as part of the registration process learning providers were asked to provide a copy of a valid health and safety certificate and their public liability insurance. In addition we required all learning providers to sign a learning provider agreement. A key part of the agreement asked providers to offer a clear explanation to account holders of any accreditation held (in respect of the course, the qualification or the provider), the qualification a course undertaken may lead to, and the awarding body.

ILAs aimed to encourage more people into learning by helping tackle the financial barriers to learning. To help meet the policy objective the ILA system was designed to be simple and easy to use and non-bureaucratic.

Dr. Pugh

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what compensation her Department is providing to colleges in respect of losses incurred by the withdrawal of individual learning accounts. [23831]

John Healey

The Department has no plans to compensate learning providers in relation to the closure of individual learning accounts.