§ 14. Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will strengthen the training component of the youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI am confident that the current criteria for designing youth training scheme programmes will provide a strong training component for all schemes.
§ Mr. HooleyIs the Minister aware that the youth training scheme is a confidence trick—a pretence that 725 400,000 boys and girls now in the dole queue will have a future under this Government? Is it not true that while the Government pursue their economic policies there is no useful future for them?
§ Mr. MorrisonThe hon. Gentleman will be well aware that his right hon. and hon. Friends on the Opposition Front Bench do not believe that the scheme is a confidence trick. They have fully supported it, as have trade unions and employers. Thousands of sponsors are coming forward and youngsters are interested in joining the scheme.
§ Mr. GreenwayIs my hon. Friend aware of the Labour party confidence trick? Has it not stated that, if elected, it will introduce a training scheme for youngsters of 16-plus, for two years, which will pay its participants £25 a week? Has not the Labour party now had to admit that after taxation and loss of family allowance that wage will be worth only £9 a week? Is that not the biggest confidence trick of all time?
§ Mr. MorrisonI am sure that my hon. Friend is right. As will become apparent during the next few weeks, the Opposition have not properly costed their proposals.
§ Mr. Barry JonesWhat about the unemployed 17-year-olds?
§ Mr. MorrisonAs the hon. Gentleman is aware, the scheme is for 16-year-olds. We hope also to provide for an estimated 50,000 unemployed 17-year-olds.