HL Deb 20 January 2000 vol 608 cc161-2WA
Earl Russell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many people aged 16 or 17 are not in education, training or employment, how many of these are living independently; and, of those living independently, how many are claiming benefit and how many had no apparent source of income. [HL489]

Baroness Hollis of Heigham

According to the 1997–98 Family Resources Survey, which covers private households in Great Britain:

1. Approximately 160,000 (or 10 per cent) of those people aged 16 or 17, living in private households, were not in education, training or employment. Of these, approximately 130,000 (or 85 per cent) were living independently.

2. Of those people aged 16 or 17, in private households, who were not in education, training or employment and were living independently:

  • Approximately 20,000 (or 15 per cent) were in receipt of one or more Social Security benefits.
  • All had some apparent source of income.

Notes:

1. The source of the data used to answer the question is the Family Resources Survey (Great Britain only). The latest year for which data is available is 1997–98.

2. The Family Resources Survey covers only private households. This means that people resident in institutions (such as hospital or prison) and homeless people are outside the scope of the survey.

3. The estimates are based on sample counts, which have been adjusted for non-response using multipurpose grossing factors that control for region, Council Tax band and a number of demographic variables. Estimates are subject to sampling error and to variability in non-reponse.

4. The figures for numbers of people are given t o the nearest 10,000 people. All percentages have been rounded to the nearest five per cent.

5. For the purpose of answering this question:

  • 16 and 17 year-olds are taken to be independent if they are not living with either their natural parent(s) and/or their step-parent(s).
  • 16 and 17 year-olds are deemed to have an "apparent source of income" if either they or their partner (if they are living with a partner as man and wife) has access to any form of income.