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Investors in People

Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps her Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if she will make a statement. [2974]

Mr. Paice: The former Department of Employment and the former Department of Education were committed to becoming investors in people. The Department for Education and Employment is determined to achieve that status. An action plan is in preparation building on the work undertaken by the former Departments. No target date has yet been set.

Training

Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what amount was spent on training by her Department per unemployed person for each year since 1989-90 in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms. [2969]

Mr. Paice: The information requested is as follows:

Year Amount £ Real Terms(6) £
1985-86140220
1986-87180280
1987-88220320
1988-89480660
1989-909801,260
1990-919501,130
1991-92560630
1992-93430460
1993-94500520
1994-95610630

(6) 1995-96 prices.


30 Nov 1995 : Column: 852

Mr. John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what changes will be made to the funding system for youth training and modern apprenticeships in 1996-97; and what plans she has to publish the results of the recent consultation on future funding arrangements. [3908]

Mr. Paice: No major changes are planned to the funding system for youth training and modern apprenticeships in 1996-97. A summary of the responses to the consultation document on future funding arrangements for youth training and modern apprenticeships was published on 24 November. Copies have been placed in the Library today.

Assisted Places Scheme

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 27 November, Official Report, column 445, if she will list for, respectively (a) Manchester grammar school (b) Manchester high school for girls and (c) William Hulme's grammar school, Manchester, how much has been spent by the Government on the assisted places scheme in total, (i) up to but not including the latest year and (ii) in the latest available year; and what additional money will be made available in the planned expansion of the scheme. [3269]

Mrs. Gillan: Information is readily available only for the last five years. The amounts spent on assisted places at each of the three Manchester schools cited for the academic years 1990-91 to 1994-95, and estimates for the latest academic year 1995-96, are given in the following table. Provision for the academic year 1996-97, when the scheme's expansion is planned to begin, and for succeeding years will be announced in due course.

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 853

Assisted Places Scheme

Academic year Manchester Grammar School £000s Manchester High School £000s William Hulme's Grammar School £000s
1990-91 to 1994-95 3,459 2,173 3,059
1995-96(7)816566746

(7) Estimated.


WALES

Student Hardship Funds

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many students made applications for hardship funds in (a) 1993 and (b) 1994; and if he will make a statement. [2658]

Mr. Richards: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 29 November 1995, Official Report, column 755.

Small Firms

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy concerning small firms; and if he will make a statement. [2665]

Mr. Richards: The second competitiveness White Paper called "Forging Ahead", published in May 1995, outlined a programme of measures to assist the growth and competitiveness of the small firms sector.

The Welsh Office works with local authorities, training and enterprise councils, the development agencies and local enterprise agencies in providing a range of services for small businesses in Wales. We have established eight business development consortia--business connect--to streamline the assistance available and to make it easily accessible through a single low-cost, all-Wales telephone number. This service will be operational from 15 January 1996.

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 854

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the powers transferred from non-departmental public bodies to local government in each of the last three years. [2916]

Mr. Hague: In October 1994, the responsibility for operating mid-Wales development grant; development of rural initiative, venture and enterprise (DRIVE) grant; rural (buildings) conversion grant and community enterprise grant was transferred to local authorities. In addition, from 1 April 1995 local authorities were given direct control of funds for social and economic development, previously provided in the form of grant assistance by the Development Board for Rural Wales under section 4.1. (d)(i) and (ii) of the Development of Rural Wales Act 1976.

Surplus Explosives (Disposal)

Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what records his Department holds regarding surplus stocks of conventional explosives brought from RAF Great Orton to Royal Ordnance establishments in Wales for disposal between 1946 to 1948; what current environmental monitoring is conducted by his Department on these disposal sites; and if he will list the locations of all land and off-shore sites in and around Wales used for such disposal. [3100]

Mr. Hague: The Welsh Office has no records or responsibilities in this area.

New Dwellings

Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each district council area the number of houses built (a) by district councils, (b) by housing associations, (c) by other public bodies and (d) in total for each of the last three available years. [1852]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The available information is given in the following table. Only one dwelling classified as "other public bodies" was built in the period: this has been included with the local authority number for Rhondda for 1992.

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 853

New dwellings completed Numbers

1992 1993 1994
Local authority Housing association All tenures(8) Local authority Housing association All tenures(8) Local authority Housing association All tenures(8)
Aberconwy0432260821822072304
Alyn and Deeside 22 104 283 0 50 148 16 23 167
Arfon2013108074214079143
Blaenau Gwent01042370067025101
Brecknock04312102180071139
Cardiff64961,188042093403851,258
Carmarthen037207045265024234
Ceredigion0027700315012230
Colwyn093337012161036308
Cynon Valley066198066237036177
Delyn01273890131298046235
Dinefwr060267610722707105
Dwyfor039733498401763
Glyndwr03016802214802578
Islwyn050110054940051
Llanelli00117310197456232
Lliw Valley09714402294072120
Meirionnydd0217902759032115
Merthyr Tydfil040157030116051142
Monmouth01053540124543039456
Montgomeryshire(9) 0 49 273 0 130 291 0 203 328
Neath08229850177071214
Newport05928966726910810320
Ogwr136047602685130234706
Port Talbot072179043193060132
Preseli Pembrokeshire 8 0 175 14 66 163 12 72 266
Radnor2810111063175638157
Rhondda(10)1106185058159079139
Rhuddlan201611825241100108204
Rhymney Valley013040871980 38120
South Pembrokeshire 0 14 280 0 22 153 0 95 347
Swansea0763265834770920369678
Taff-Ely0100388031401082499
Torfaen05623002224390105263
Vale of Glamorgan 16 94 395 24 32 420 0 41 358
Wrexham Maelor0974790563990200524
Ynys Mon0010301580056

Source: Local Authority Returns. Notes:

(8) Includes completions in the Private sector.

(9)Montgomeryshire includes new town completions.

(10) The local authority figure for 1992 includes one Government Department completion.


30 Nov 1995 : Column: 855

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 855


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