asked the Paymaster General if he will make a statement on the National Audit Office report on the operation of the Manpower Services Commission's adult training scheme.

I welcome the National Audit Office's report, which confirms that training provided under the Manpower Services Commission's adult training strategy promises to be significantly more cost-effective than TOPS and to reach a wider range of trainees; that the introduction of CALLMI, MSC's new computer-assisted local labour market information database, can be expected to improve the matching of training provision with local skill requirements; and that the setting up of the national council of vocational qualifications is an important step in the direction of securing a nationally recognised framework of competence-based qualifications, which will be a valuable aid to the effective working of the labour and training markets. I also welcome the report's constructive criticisms about the achievement of still better value for money. We have already made substantial progress since the period covered by the report, and will continue to seek further improvements.