§ 6. Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what conclusions he has reached as a result of his current talks with youth organisations; and if he will make a statement as to the future of the youth service.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Hugh Jenkins)I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the summary of the discussions on which the comments of participants have been sought. As he will see, there is a consensus in favour of some form of national consultative machinery, but no decision on this or on other matters will be reached until my right hon. Friend has received and considered all the comments and recommendations which have been made.
§ Mr. SteenWill the Minister stop fiddling while Rome bums and realise 1147 that 70,000 school leavers are still unemployed and that his consultations about the Youth Service and the state of that service are of no interest to them? Or is it that the Government youth leader in general is just not interested in young people?
§ Mr. JenkinsIn this country we do not go in for the fuhrer precept. On the serious side of the question, these consultations are intended precisely for the purpose—and the hon. Gentleman was active in suggesting that they should take place—of ensuring that the people engaged in the Youth Service, including representatives of the young people themselves, get together and have the opportunity of making recommendations. Those recommendations have been made. They are now being considered. Fairly early in the New Year I hope to bring forward to my right hon. Friend recommendations which will be a consensus of the body of opinion expressed in the past few months.