YORK-based free learning and work advice service, Future Prospects, is offering help to people following the scrapping of the Government's training vouchers scheme.

Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs), part of the Government's lifelong learning strategy have been suspended.

Education and Skills Secretary, Estelle Morris, said the number of people taking up the programme, which is to be completely scrapped from December 7 in England, had exceeded the Government's expectations and had expanded beyond its capacity.

She said the Government was also concerned by evidence that some ILAs had been exploited by companies providing poor value for money.

Ms Morris said: "There is growing evidence that some companies are abusing the scheme by offering low value, poor quality learning. We are keen that this does not undermine what has been a very successful programme, so we are acting quickly to protect the interests of individual learners."

Her department is writing to all ILA account holders and learning providers registered with the ILA Centre to inform them of the move.

The scheme is now closed to applications for new accounts, but learning begun by existing account holders will continue to be supported provided it is booked with the ILA Centre by 7 December.

York-based Future Prospects, which offers confidential information and support on all aspects of learning and work, has been warning people about some of the ILA schemes operating in and around the city for the past few months, and is advising potential students to contact it in order to get impartial advice.

Anyone with questions about any aspect of their ILA can call Future Prospects, which is based at 24 Swinegate, York, on freephone 0800 834239 from Tuesday to Saturday, between 10am and 4pm. ILA helpline number 0800 072 5678.

Updated: 11:09 Saturday, October 27, 2001