To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his policy is on Learndirect selling its products free of charge; and what assessment he has made of the impact of this on competition. [100047]

Ufi Ltd. was established by the Government as a private company limited by guarantee. It is funded through a combination of public funds and commercial earned income. The public funds are allocated and used to enable Ufi/learndirect to provide education and training programmes as part of the wider public service of further education and adult learning. They include adult literacy and numeracy programmes offered as part of the Skills for Life initiative. For these programmes Ufi/learndirect hubs and learning centres receive funding through the Learning and Skills Council. In addition Ufi/learndirect offers a range of other programmes with fees charged on a commercial basis for employers and learners who wish to buy them. These programmes are primarily oriented towards workforce development.