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Youth Training

Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of those who have undertaken a youth training programme who have (a) been subsequently employed and (b) achieved a recognised qualification in each training and council area in each year from 1990 to 1996. [36582]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The proportion of young people leaving youth training and (a) who gained a job and (b) achieved a recognised qualification in each year from 1991-92 to 1994-5 in each TEC area are shown in the following tables. No figures are available for 1990 as not all TECs were operational in that year. Figures for 1995-1996 are not yet available.

(a) Proportion of leavers in a job by yearPer cent.

	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94	1994-95
Mid Glamorgan	48	42	47	52
South Glamorgan	41	43	45	n/a
Gwent	43	44	45	54
Powys	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
North-east Wales	68	80	n/a	64
North-west Wales	54	n/a	55	59
West Wales	42	40	44	53
Wales	47	45	48	56

Notes:

Full time, part time or self employment.

n/a=Not available due to low number of responses.

Source:

YT national follow-up survey.

(b) Proportion of leavers gaining a full/part qualification by yearPer cent.

	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94	1994-95
Mid Glamorgan	38	33	46	42
South Glamorgan	36	31	46	n/a
Gwent	36	37	47	43
Powys	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
North-east Wales	61	73	n/a	51
North-west Wales	61	n/a	47	48
West Wales	42	39	42	48
Wales	43	38	46	46

Note:

n/a = Not available due to low number of responses.

Source:

YT national follow-up survey.

16 Jul 1996 : Column: 477

Traffic Congestion

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures have been taken to alleviate traffic congestion in and around holiday resorts in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [37089]

Mr. Hague: Access to many Welsh holiday resorts has been significantly improved by the motorway and trunk road improvements--costing some £3 billion--which have been completed since 1979. Roads within holiday resorts are the responsibility of the relevant local authorities, and it is for them to assess the need for any improvements.

Modern Apprenticeships

Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what sums have been allocated by his Department to each training and enterprise council in Wales for modern apprenticeships in year (a) 1, (b) 2 and (c) 3. [37384]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The information requested for years 1 and 2 is shown in the following table. Figures for 1996-97 will not become available until September 1996, as TECs have yet to finalise contracts with their providers.

Modern apprenticeship expenditure (£ million)

	1994-95(17)	1995-96(18)
Gwent	1.618	0.894
Mid Glamorgan	1.845	0.476
North-east Wales	0.831	0.330
Powys	1.097	0.129
South Glamorgan	0.492	0.221
Targed	1.149	0.309
West Wales	2.530	0.677
Total Wales	9.562	3.036

(17) 1994-95 expenditure includes monies for capital equipment.

(18) 1995-96 expenditure figures are provisional.

Eurofreight Terminal

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on progress in establishing a Eurofreight terminal in south Wales; what consultations he has conducted with the chairman of the Welsh development agency concerning the pre-planning study; and when he anticipates commencement of the project's construction phase. [37610]

Mr. Hague: On 3 April I agreed that the Welsh development agency should enter into further discussions with the promoters of the proposal for a rail freight terminal at Wentloog; these discussions are continuing and the WDA will be reporting back to me in due course. I have not held discussions with the WDA chairman on

16 Jul 1996 : Column: 478

any pre-planning study. The timing of any developments is dependent on the proposals put forward by the promoters and the outcome of the discussions with the WDA.

Extra-contractual Referral System

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the consultation paper he has issued on simplifying the extra-contractual referral system; if he will list the consultees on this document; and if he will make a statement. [37608]

Mr. Hague: I have arranged for copies of the letters sent to the NHS in Wales explaining the proposals for streamlining aspects of the extra-contractual referral process to be placed in the Library. Guidance on other aspects of the process is being developed in partnership with health authorities, NHS trusts and GPs. This guidance is likely to be issued in the autumn.

SCOTLAND

Saltire

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 3 July, Official Report, column 485, if he will review the list of persons whose birthdays are marked by the flying of the Saltire from public buildings and include the birthdays of (a) Robert Burns and (b) Robert the Bruce. [36241]

Mr. Michael Forsyth: I am giving consideration to the matter.

Local Government Reorganisation

Sir David Steel: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will ensure that when a new unitary authority has succeeded a number of old authorities the liability limit of 70 per cent. of costs for inherited legal commitments will be calculated by an aggregate total of the old authorities; and if he will make a statement. [37125]

Mr. Kynoch: Demitting local authorities' ability to commit their successors to capital expenditure in 1996-97 was restricted to 70 per cent., of each authorities' individual capital allocation. I have undertaken to give each successor authority a capital allocation equal to the amount of legal commitments they inherit from each of their predecessors, provided that the individual demitting authorities did not exceed their commitment limits. The mechanism which has been put in place for dealing with inherited legal commitments was proposed by and agreed with COSLA last year. I do not propose to change it now.

Speech and Language Disorders

Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children from homes in Scotland with (a) specific speech and (b) language disorders are currently having their special educational needs met in establishments in England as a result of a lack of appropriate provision in Scotland. [37017]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: The information requested is not held centrally.

16 Jul 1996 : Column: 479

Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what grants or other financial assistance have been awarded by the Scottish Office, in the financial years 1995-96 and 1996-97, to organisations whose sole remit is to represent children with specific speech and language disorders. [37015]

Mr. Robertson: No funding has been awarded in the years 1995-96 and 1996-97 to any organisation concerned solely with representing children with specific speech and language disorders.

Special Educational Needs

Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the information about advice, counselling and advocacy for parents of children with special educational needs, currently being gathered by the Scottish Office, will be made available to parents; and in what form. [37014]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: Views were invited by 1 July 1996 from statutory bodies, voluntary organisations and others on the content, layout and format of the Scottish Office publication, "A Parents Guide to Special Educational Needs".

A wide range of detailed responses has been made and these are being given careful consideration. The aim is to have a revised version of the guide available before the end of this year. The current edition of the guide is available in printed form in English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and Cantonese and also in English on audio cassette. Views were sought from those consulted on appropriate formats for the revision.

Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on advocacy for children and the parents of children with special educational needs during the preparation of a record of needs. [37016]

Mr. Robertson: The Scottish Office encourages openness and co-operation between all parties involved in the preparation of a record of needs and acknowledges that advocacy for children and the parents of children with special educational needs, where an involved party feels it appropriate, can contribute to the process.

To support this the Scottish Office has assisted the national voluntary organisation, Children in Scotland, to establish the special needs forum which provides information and training about special educational needs for parents and voluntary organisations. It also provided financial assistance to that organisation to publish "A Special Partnership", a guide book for named persons and parents, to help them to participate more effectively in the recording processes. Additionally, I have asked the Scottish Office, in the light of responses received to the consultation about the new version of its publication, "A Parents' Guide to Special Educational Needs", to review the need for further encouragement and guidance about advocacy services.

16 Jul 1996 : Column: 480

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