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Mr. D. Anderson

Managing Director

PLM Redfearn Glass Ltd.

Burton Road

Monk Bretton

Barnsley

Mr. R. Davies

Works Manager

Dupon (U.K.) Ltd.

Wheatley Hall Road

Doncaster

Mr. R. Akroyd

General District Manager

Barnsley Health Authority

Hilder House

49 51 Gawber Road

Barnsley

Mr. J. Wall

Executive Vice President

Koyo Bearings (Europe) Ltd.

P.O. Box 101

Elmhirst Lane

Dodworth

Barnsley

Mr. R. Bailey

Managing Director

Ben Bailey Homes Ltd.

Elizabeth House

Cliff Street

Mexborough

Mr. R. Drohan

Chief Executive

ACE Conveyor Equipment Ltd.

Plumtree Farm Industrial Estate

Harworth

Doncaster

Mr. J. Edwards, OBE

Chief Executive

Barnsley MBC

Town Hall

Barnsley

Mr. D. Hale

Chief Executive

Doncaster MBC

2 Priory Place

Doncaster

Mr. R. Lasseter

Managing Director

Pegler Ltd.

St. Catherine Avenue

Doncaster

Mr. H. Salt

Leader

Barnsley MBC

Town Hall

Barnsley

Mr. I. Ferguson

Managing Director

Reed Northern Newspapers Ltd.

Sunny Bar

Doncaster

Ms F. Howell

General Plant Manager

J. I. Case (Europe) Ltd.

Wheatley Hall Road

Doncaster

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Mr. B. Marshall

Regional Officer

National Union of Teachers

7 9 Chequer Road

Doncaster

Mr. R. Turner

Managing Director

Lyons Bakeries (U.K.) Ltd.

Fishdam Lane

Carlton

Barnsley

(b) TEC Directors are non executive and therefore do not draw salaries from the TEC, the exception being the Chief Executive who is, in the case of Barnsley and Doncaster TEC, an Executive Director. The company's annual statutory report and accounts for the year ended 1993 show Directors Remuneration of £45,000.

(c) Details of TEC Director selection can be found in the TEC Operating Agreement (1994) paragraphs 12.3--12.3.6., which is held in the Library. The Barnsley and Doncaster TEC ensures that each Director receives relevant induction, training and development throughout their appointment with the TEC.

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been (a) the total money spent, (b) the percentage of that money allocated according to decisions made by Ministers on competitive bids and (c) the percentage of that money allocated according to some statistical measure of need for the Barnsley/Doncaster TEC since its inception.

Miss Widdecombe : (a) Total funding from the Department to Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council from its inception in January 1990 to the end of 1993-94 was £82,109 million. (b) Nil by Employment Department to the end of 1993-94. (c) All budgets take into account the needs of the client groups and local labour market factors. In particular, TECs receive sufficient funds to meet the youth training guarantee.

Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people received assistance from the North Yorkshire training and enterprise council in 1993-94.

Miss Widdecombe : For the year ended 31 March 1994 approximately 11,000 people received specific assistance from the North Yorkshire training and enterprise council. The North Yorkshire TEC offers a diverse range of products and services which consist of a range of vocational training programmes for both employed and unemployed people, courses aimed at people wishing to start their own business, courses aimed at existing businesses and provision of information to individuals and businesses.

Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many 16 to 19-year-olds were placed or assisted on training programmes by the North Yorkshire training and enterprise council in 1993-94.

Miss Widdecombe : During 1993-94, 2,184 young people aged 16 to 18 commenced on youth training in addition to the 2,700 who were already in training on 1 April 1993.

Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to secure an

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abatement in relation to those training and enterprise council secondees from his Department who have taken advantage of the voluntary early retirement scheme and who are still in full-time employment with those training and enterprise councils.

Miss Widdecombe : The abatement rules apply only to civil servants who left the service with an award of pension under the principal civil service pension scheme or the superannuation Acts and are re-employed in the civil service or in employment or offices to which the scheme applies. Training and enterprise councils are private companies to which the scheme does not apply.

Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each training and enterprise council in each of the last three years the endorsements for training purposes categorised A, B and C.

Miss Widdecombe : As the information is contained in a number of tables, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library.

Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many of his Department's staff who were seconded to the (a) North West Wales, (b) Gwent, (c) North East Wales and (d) West Wales training and enterprise councils have taken advantage of the voluntary early retirement scheme while remaining in employment with the TEC ; and at what cost to the voluntary early retirement scheme.

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 13 May 1994] : I understand that some 27 departmental staff who were on secondment to training and enterprise councils took voluntary early retirement under the early retirement schemes which the Department ran in Wales and are now employed by TECs. I believe that three are with North West Wales TEC, six with Gwent TEC, six with North East Wales TEC and 11 with West Wales TEC. I also believe that one is employed with Mid Glamorgan TEC. The early retirement costs of these releases amounted to £650, 326 for the 1993-94 financial year, with ongoing annual compensation payments totalling some £181,590 payable until recipients reach age 60. Had all 27 returned to the Department before being given early retirement, the costs incurred would, of course, have been the same, Had they remained, the Department would have been responsible for their salaries and pensions.

Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of the application of voluntary early retirement schemes to secondees from his Department to training and enterprise councils in Wales, as described in the letter from the Under-Secretary of State for Employment to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West dated 20 April, combined with the absence of a clawback mechanism for the former civil servants benefiting from the early retirement scheme but continuing in full-time employment with those training and enterprise councils ; and if he will make a statement.

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 12 May 1994] : The total cost to the Department in the 1993-94 financial year was £650,326 for the release of the 27 individuals concerned. Ongoing compensation payments totalling some £181,590 are also payable until the recipients reach

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age 60. These 27 cases in Wales were out of a total of 1,915 early retirements from the Department in 1993-94. Had all 27 returned to the Department before being given early retirement the costs incurred would, of course, have been the same. Had they remained employed, the Department would have been responsible for their salaries and pensions.

Employment Appeal Tribunal

Mr. Hutton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the work of the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Miss Widdecombe : The Employment Appeal Tribunal is an independent judicial body which hears appeals on points of law from decisions of the industrial tribunals. In the 1993-94 financial year 990 such appeals were disposed of.

United Airlines

Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he will reply to the representations he has received from the hon. Member for Uxbridge concerning proposals by the United States Association of Flight Attendants to close all facilities not based in the United States of America ; what assessment he has made of the effect of such proposals on the employment by United Airlines of British nationals ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. David Hunt : I have replied to my hon. Friend today. I am aware that the Association of Flight Attendants is seeking to persuade United Airlines to close its domicile in London which employs about 350 British citizens. I understand the concern felt by British employees of United Airlines about this matter. The establishment, by United Airlines, of London-based flight attendants has benefited both the airline and its employees. I hope that the present dispute will be concluded in a way which allows the benefits to the company to continue and employment opportunities at Heathrow to grow.

Careers and Occupational Information Service

Mr. Hutton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what disciplinary action has been taken against officials in the careers and occupational information service as the result of the internal auditors' inquiry into contracts placed by COIC in 1993 ; (2) if he will make a statement about the results of the internal auditors' inquiry into contracts entered into by the careers and occupational information service in 1993.

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