Written question asked by Jim Cousins (Labour) on Wednesday, 28 March 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 April 2001. It was answered by Baroness Jowell (Labour) on Monday, 2 April 2001 on behalf of the Department for Education and Employment.

Dept for Education and Employment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will indicate the (a) areas, (b) total sums allocated in each area, (c) number of modern apprenticeships to be created and (d) number of additional computer training places in each of the five information technology pilot areas.

Answer: Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will indicate the (a) areas, (b) total sums allocated in each area, (c) number of modern apprenticeships to be created and (d) number of additional computer training places in each of the five information technology pilot areas. [156472] Ms Jowell: The Ambition:IT initiative will run in five pilot areas which will be selected from a current shortlist of 10: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, South Yorkshire, Liverpool, Tyneside, Cardiff, Glasgow, and Edinburgh and the Forth area. We will announce the five pilot areas later in the Spring. Allocations have not therefore been made to individual areas. Details of overall funding and opportunities for each of the three prongs of Ambition:IT are: Career Ambition--a total of £34 million over three years for a technician training pilot to place 5,000 individuals in the ICT sector over those three years; First Ambition--a total of £15 million over three years to train New Deal participants to European Computer Driving Licence standard, starting in October 2001 and help 15,000 in its first year; and A £2.5 million Challenge Fund to test the use of innovative technology to increase the quality and efficiency of services throughout the New Deal.

Secondary information