To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will ring-fence a proportion of his Department's budget for the delivery of training to develop skills required by environmental industries. (209335)

The Department’s budget of £4.7 billion for adult further education and skills in 2008-09 is being used to meet the skill needs of a wide range of individuals and employers, including key sectors such as environmental industries.

The Government are taking action to assess the skills needs for a sustainable future, and a low carbon, resource intensive economy, and what further action may be needed by employers, individuals and Government. The Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) have all been asked to input to a study which DEFRA has commissioned on the skills required for a low carbon, resource efficient, economy. In parallel with that, my Department, the Learning and Skills Council, DEFRA and BERR are together working proactively with employers, SSCs and expert bodies to develop a strategic approach to skills for a sustainable future. My Department will look to find ways to support a strategic skills solution for the environmental industries through existing skills arrangements if a sufficiently compelling proposition emerges from the work being done with employers and other key stakeholders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of his Department's budget is spent on skills training relevant to the needs of environmental industries. (209336)

The Department's budget of £4.7 billion for adult further education and skills in 2008-09 is being used to meet the skill needs of a wide range of individuals and employers, including key sectors such as environmental industries. The bulk of the further education and skills budget is managed by the Learning and Skills Council, but the LSC's systems do not record expenditure relevant to environmental industries separately.