Madam President, I am very pleased that my first speech in Parliament is on the LEONARDO programme for the implementation of a Community-wide vocational training programme. I think it demonstrates the important role of Parliament and the Commission in education and training throughout the Community. The LEONARDO programme will build on the success of previous programmes and it will enable young people and adults too - and I stress adults - to develop their skills within a European dimension and give an opportunity for the exchange of good practice between Member States. It will enable the acquisition of language skills. It will make a significant contribution to employment opportunities in Europe and it will stress the life-long nature of learning for those not wishing to pursue working life.

Many amendments have been proposed and I would commend to Parliament those put forward by the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment. In particular, that committee has drawn attention to the need for this programme to be a non-elitist programme and for everyone to benefit from it, for access to training to be provided for those who are disadvantaged - maybe by geographical location, by disability, by ethnicity or by other socio-economic problems. What we are saying is that this programme must be open to all. There are many who are currently trapped in low-paid, low-skilled, casual employment, for whom training is not available. We want to make sure that this programme is open to them and that they have access to it an can benefit from it. So there is clearly a need to unleash the potential and creativity of these groups. The LEONARDO programme should provide these opportunities.

The Committee on Social Affairs thinks that it is important to ensure that the Commission is supported with a proper budget and with a proper advisory committee to see through the programme, including two representatives from each of the Member States, an equal number of social partners and some specialist expertise, and that at least 50% of the members of that committee are women. We intend that at least 50% of the beneficiaries of the LEONARDO programme should be women. Therefore it is important that at least 50% of the decision-makers are women.

I know that the Commission sees this as a problem but we believe it can be overcome and that nation states and social partners can be encouraged to put forward that level of representation.

Finally, I should like to say that following the successive previous programmes my own constituency is looking forward actively to the LEONARDO programme. We see it as a really exciting adventure, just as those of us who are new Members of Parliament see coming to Parliament as an opportunity. We want people across Europe to have the opportunity to skill and re-skill through the LEONARDO programme.

(Applause)