HC Deb 06 March 1984 vol 55 cc729-30
16. Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will introduce proposals for incentives to encourage young people to stay in full-time education.

Sir Keith Joseph

The hon. Gentleman presumably has in mind financial incentives. I refer him to the answer that I gave to a question from the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) on 7 February.

Mr. Sheerman

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the answer that he gave on that occasion was hardly sufficient for the purposes that my hon. Friends and I have been advocating for some time? Is he further aware that the Government should take the initiative in avoiding a choice having to be made by 16-year-olds between cash and developing their talent and aptitude? What are the Government doing to ensure that the ability of the child flowers at that age?

Sir Keith Joseph

The hon. Gentleman fails to take into account the fact that until this year the staying-on rate in schools was rising steadily. That must be taken into account. Moreover, there is very little evidence indeed that people fail to stay on at school for cash reasons. [Interruption.] The answer to a sedentary intervention is that in many parts of the country there are now more jobs for young people than there were.