Industrial Training Levy (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board) Order 2008

The Minister always presents her speeches persuasively and I, for one, thank her for her presentation. During a long parliamentary life, it has become clear to me that all is not well in the training industry, if you can call it that. It appears that every five or six years each Administration sets out reform measures, but we never seem to hit the target. Therefore, I wished the proposals of the noble Lord, Lord Leitch, well, and I certainly welcome these orders. I wish only to ask a few questions. Can the Minister indicate how many employers are levied in our country? Do we know how many employees might be grouped under the heading of ““engineering”” when at work? How large in employer terms is the engineering industry? It is certainly one of our most vital remaining industries in Britain. Do we have any idea how well the engineering construction board is progressing? Is its efficiency assessed? By whom? Who is taking the temperature? Who is watching and assessing the board? My guess is that it is rather a good board. Our last great employer of skilled employees in Britain is the aerospace industry. There are tens of thousands of employees in that great manufacturing industry. How well does the board serve the needs of our great aerospace industry? My noble friend mentioned apprenticeships, and we both know that that is the future for what remains of British manufacturing. We know that the orders are vital to the future of British manufacturing. How many aerospace apprentices are training under the aegis of the engineering board? It would be helpful to know that. Also, is it possible to know how many apprentices are training under the aegis of the Construction Industry Training Board? I know that my noble friend is a busy and conscientious Minister, so it is just possible that she has not read the obituary column in the Independent today. If she has not, why not? After successfully coping with these orders, my noble friend might want to read the obituary of Sir Maurice Laing. The sub-heading reads: "““Firebrand head of the Laing construction company who became the first president of the CBI””." The article is mildly revelatory and may help the Minister with future orders.