TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

That this House notes the failure of the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) to assess the effect of its proposed relocation on its staff and customers particularly with regard to race, disability and gender; further notes the recently announced review of agencies whose work is intended to improve outcomes for children and families, including the TDA, and the predicted loss of at least 85 per cent. of the agency's existing expertise, putting at risk its ability to deliver the Government's aspirations for improving the skills of the children's workforce in schools; is concerned that the agency's stated intention of not paying compensation to staff whose circumstances make them unable to move to Manchester places them under undue pressure to fund comparable jobs in an already difficult London employment market; further notes the UK's changed economic situation since the Lyons review; and therefore calls for a review of the decision to relocate the TDA from London to Manchester.