§ Mr. WattsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will publish the level of contributions that employers have made towards publicly funded skills and training costs in each region for the last three years. [117972]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe total cost of training to employers in England was estimated at approximately £23 billion for 2000. This breaks down by region as follows:
Region £ billion North East 1.8 North West 3.9 Yorkshire and the Humber 1.9 East Midlands 1.1 West Midlands 2.1 Eastern 2.0 London 5.3 South East 3.6 South West 1.7 The estimates are from the Learning and Training at Work 2000 survey of employers and covers all training—both that which is publicly funded and otherwise. The figures include indirect costs—the largest component is the wage costs of the trainees while in training. Comparable figures for 2001 and 2002, and a breakdown into training funded publicly or otherwise are not available.