asked the Minister for Labour the criteria being used by his Department to monitor AnCO training programmes.

Essentially AnCO training programmes are monitored by my Department on the basis of financial and labour market criteria. On the financial side AnCO's programmes are monitored by reference to unit costs per trainee and per training day. Cost elements are examined annually to identify movements and comparisons across programmes to achieve economies where possible. At the same time, programme expenditure is also examined to establish how sources of revenue other than the Exchequer can be maximised, e.g., the European Social Fund, employer contributions and service fees.

On the labour market side, programmes are monitored from two viewpoints. Since the establishment of AnCO in 1967 primary consideration has focused on how training services responded to the demand side of the labour market. Programmes have been monitored to see how they have responded to skill shortages, emerging occupational-skill trends and industrial development. The placement rate of trainees off many training programmes and research by relevant agencies and industrial interests have been used as indications of demand.

More recently increasing attention has been placed on the responsiveness of training programmes to the needs of the supply side of the labour market of which the unemployment level is an important measure. The Youth Employment Agency Act, 1981, has served in particular to address the need for training for unemployed young persons, especially the disadvantaged. Programmes are also monitored to identify if they contribute towards equalising opportunities for other special categories including women and long-term unemployed. The contribution of programmes to developing entrepreneurial potential or indeed rescuing or safeguarding employment has also been a consideration in overviewing training services by AnCO.

Arising out of the considerable expansion in AnCO programmes and resources in recent times some difficulties have arisen in ensuring effective monitoring by my Department. For these reasons, the Government decided to have an inter-Departmental review of AnCO undertaken. This is in hands and the outcome will assist in establishing more effective monitoring criteria and procedures for the future in this area.

I welcome the inter-Departmental monitoring idea. Would the Minister not agree that the long-term training needs of the economy are often not measured by the percentage of trainees immediately placed? Although the Minister is looking at wider things, does he not feel that the concentration of many AnCO training places in apprenticeship areas is hardly responsive to the skill shortages that will be felt in the coming years?

Both points can be taken into account by the monitoring group being set up on an inter-Departmental basis.