Learning Difficulties

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) further to his answer of 4 July, Official Report, column 191, if he will explain why no information is available for Wales on the number of adults with learning difficulties undertaking employment training;(2) further to his answer of 5 July,

Official Report, columns 231–32, if he will explain why the information requested is not available.

Figures are collected on the number of people with disabilities in training, but these figures do not identify specific types of disability. People with learning difficulties are included in total figures for people with disabilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his answer of 5 July, Official Report, columns 231–32, if he will indicate what steps he is now taking to ensure adequate monitoring of the provision for people with learning difficulties within employment schemes in Wales.

Each training and enterprise council (TEC) is required to set out in its corporate and business plans how it intends to meet the needs of people with disabilities. These plans are subject to the approval of myself and the Secretary of State for Employment.

Specific contractual requirements common to all TECs include providing appropriate training to people with special training needs, including those with learning difficulties. The Department of Employment has produced guidance on how to plan for and deliver training to meet those needs.

TECs' performance against their plans will be regularly monitored by the Department of Employment. In addition, the Training Standards Advisory Service will be appraising the quality of training offered by TECs including provision for people with learning difficulties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his answer, what proportion of the package referred to in his answer of 2 July, Official Report, column 101, will be applied (a) to provision in Wales and (b) to people with learning difficulties in Wales.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment earlier today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) further to his answer of 4 July, Official Report, column 191, if he will now set targets for provision for people with learning difficulties in Wales;(2) further to his answer of 5 July,

Official Report, columns 231–32, if he will set targets for the current year and future years in terms of provision for young people and adults with learning difficulties in Wales.

We have no plans to set such targets. The Government remain committed to the requirements on special training needs laid down in their agreements with training and enterprise councils.

Local authority dwellings let to new tenants 1985–86 to 1990–91
District	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91
Aberconwy	227	175	188	155	157	192
Alyn and Deeside	297	301	296	248	239	224
Arfor	256	253	301	271	254	193
Blaenau Gwent	581	567	613	640	422	524
Brecknock	156	179	194	163	176	152
Cardiff	1,168	695	783	1,024	880	870
Carmarthen	222	202	221	174	145	146
Ceredigion	203	243	222	245	174	164
Colwyn	219	235	168	170	137	147
Cynon Valley	367	426	360	305	331	287
Delyn	270	269	235	266	242	210
Dinefwr	140	176	174	100	116	123
Dwyfor	79	75	68	76	72	52
Glyndwr	142	198	221	162	182	140
Islwyn	402	267	333	324	241	259
Llanelli	402	395	392	353	396	311
Lliw Valley	295	363	308	296	270	323
Meirionnydd	129	132	125	105	104	93
Merthyr Tydfil	413	391	425	535	482	449
Monmouth	344	238	215	171	213	218
Montgomeryshire	400	270	232	188	216	155
Neath	236	278	232	270	190	353
Newport	887	753	976	847	713	624
Ogwr	696	625	509	508	451	382
Port Talbot	315	276	413	233	234	315
Preseli Pembrokeshire	275	281	242	290	231	211
Radnorshire	127	76	80	75	69	75
Rhondda	221	453	397	176	427	462
Rhuddlan	145	184	171	113	142	109
Rymney Valley	609	538	533	629	446	463
South Pembrokeshire	187	155	141	255	99	96
Swansea	820	550	779	1,112	778	871
Taff-Ely	432	389	399	245	230	332
Torfaen	499	1,115	927	824	700	705
Vale of Glamorgan	392	390	315	374	291	319
Wrexham Maelor	981	943	826	781	735	753

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his answer of 4 July, Official Report, column 191, if he will make it his policy to ensure that information on the number of adults with learning difficulties undertaking employment training is collected in future with regard to Wales.

We have no plans to identify separately information on people with learning difficulties among those with other special training needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his answer of 2 July, Official Report, column 101, for each training and enterprise council, how each such TEC in Wales has set out its intentions in regard to people with special needs in general and people with learning difficulties in particular in its corporate plan.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment earlier today.

Volume 195: debated on Thursday 25 July 1991