IT was a breakfast date to rival all others for Warrington Borough Council's chief executive Steven Broomhead last week as he spent Thursday morning with the Prime Minister.

The date marked the launch of a new strategy aimed at tackling the numbers of illiterate and innumerate adults in the country and Warrington North was last week shown to have the fourth-highest figures in Cheshire.

The new campaign, Skills for Success, is a major Government initiative which has been developed with the help of Mr Broomhead.

He has spent two days a week, since last year, as a special advisor to the Government, working on a programme to support the development of the plan.

He said: "Up to seven million adults that's one in five in Britain cannot read or write at the standard expected of an 11-year-old and more, around one in four, have problems with numbers.

"I had breakfast with the Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Secretary of State for Education David Blunkett and the Minister for Lifelong Learning Malcolm Wickes. That shows how important it is to the Government."

The scheme is seeking to reduce the number of illiterate and innumerate adults by 750,000 by 2004.

Its aims include improving standards with new, professionally produced materials and by introducing new tests. Job and benefit seekers will be screened and support classes in the workplace will be supported.

"I am hoping Warrington can become a beacon for skills," added Mr Broomhead.

"The town will be getting a considerable share of the Government funding to implement new and innovative programmes."

Steven Broomhead