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Column 395

CENELEC SC 31 WG 8

CENELEC SC 31 WG 9

CENELEC SC 31 WG 11

CENELEC SC 31 WG 29

CENELEC TC 44 X

CENELEC TC 61

CENELEC TC 61 WG 20

CENELEC TC 61 F

CENELEC TC 64 A

CENELEC TC 74 X

CENELEC TC 104

TECs, Cheshire

Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress he has made in setting up training and enterprise councils in Cheshire.

Mr. Jackson : Progress in setting up training and enterprise councils has been excellent. There are three TECs covering different parts of Cheshire. South and East Cheshire TEC has been fully operational since April 1990. The TEC covering Chester, Ellesmere Port and the Wirral is in development and due to become operational in April 1991, as is the TEC covering north and mid-Cheshire (NorMidTEC).

Strikes

Mr. Couchman : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of strikes in August.

Mr. Forth : It is provisionally estimated that there were 54.

Advertising

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish a table showing the amount spent in each of the last five years by his Department on (a) advertising in the press, (b) advertising on television and radio, (c) other advertising and promotion and (d) promotion videos and sound cassettes.

Mr. Jackson : The amount spent in each of the last five years by my Department is as follows :

            |Press      |Television |Other                  

            |advertising|and radio  |advertising            

                        |advertising|and                    

                                    |promotion              

            |£ million  |£ million  |£ million              

------------------------------------------------------------

1985-86     |n/a        |n/a        |n/a                    

1986-87     |9.7        |25.4       |16.2                   

1987-88     |7.5        |20.9       |14.4                   

1988-89     |7.7        |14.8       |13.7                   

1989-90     |7.8        |8.1        |14.2                   

Figures for press, television and radio and other advertising and promotion are not available separately for 1985-86.

Figures for the amount spent on promotional videos and sound cassettes are included in the "other advertising and promotion category" and could be separated out only at disproportionate cost.

Goods and Services

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish tables showing the amount spent on (a) acquiring and (b) commissioning goods and services by his Department in each of the last five years.

Mr. Forth : Departmental purchasing information systems do not differentiate between acquiring and commissioning goods and services. However, information on departmental purchasing expenditure from 1986-87 is set out in the annual reports of the Central Unit on Purchasing, copies of which are available in the Library.

Nottingham

Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he next expects to make an official visit to Nottingham to discuss the operation of his Department's programmes in the city.

Mr. Jackson : At present, neither my right hon. and learned Friend nor I have any plans to visit Nottingham. The Department operates a full range of employment, enterprise and training measures in Nottingham.

Deaf People (Interpreters)

Mr. Oakes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide funding for an interpreter service for the deaf within the Employment Service.

Mr. Forth [holding answer 10 December 1990] : The Employment Service has recently published a summary paper on an evaluation of the special schemes which are designed to help remove specific barriers to work resulting from disabilities, together with a letter seeking comments. Any views on the funding of an interpreter service for deaf people in response to these consultations will be considered along with all other comments received.

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