HC Deb 07 May 1991 vol 190 cc616-8
14. Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on youth training for young people with special needs.

Mr. Jackson

All young people under 18 who are not in full-time education or employment are guaranteed the offer of a suitable training place. This includes those who have special training needs. Training and enterprise councils are required to set out in their plans how they intend to meet this guarantee. My Department monitors delivery of these plans and has produced guidance to help TECs with training for people with special needs.

Mr. Smith

If that is the case, why are centres, schemes and places which provide such training being closed throughout Britain? Schemes being closed include the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders scheme which served my constituency and, indeed, the Minister's constituency. Is not it utterly repugnant that youngsters with special needs should pay the price of government cuts in training? Is not it time that the Minister not only mouthed the guarantee but acted on it so that all youngsters had real entitlement to quality training appropriate to their needs?

Mr. Jackson

The hon. Gentleman is confusing the network of providers with the position of individual people. The hon. Gentleman and his party are in no position to lecture us about training young people. When the Labour party was last in office, it provided a training programme on which there were only 6,000 places. The Government now provide, through youth training, some 350,000 places for young people.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

Will my hon. Friend join me in praising the work of the Elfrida Rathbone Society in dealing with special needs? Does he agree that, as at least some of the people involved are receiving training in life skills rather than training directed at the labour market, it would be more appropriate if such training were dealt with not by the Department of Employment but by the Department of Health or the Department of Social Security?

Mr. Jackson

I am happy to join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to the Elfrida Rathbone Society. I know something of its excellent work. My hon. Friend makes an interesting point about the division of responsibility between the Departments. Clearly, there is a difficult interface between training for employment in the labour market and training which is intended to help people to continue their lives. My hon. Friend is right that we should keep the matter under review, but meanwhile we have a responsibility. Through our arrangements and our contracts with the training and enterprise councils, we are in a position to discharge that responsibility.

Mr. Leighton

Is not it the case that young people with special needs in the London borough of Newham and Essex have few opportunities because, as the Newham Recorder has reported, the youth training guarantee is not being honoured and hundreds of young people are leaving school without a job or a YT place? What is the Minister's explanation for that disgraceful situation? What action will he take to rectify it?

Mr. Jackson

Unusually, the hon. Gentleman is completely wrong. Some concern was expressed about the ability of Essex training and enterprise council to fulfil the guarantee. We investigated the matter and took appropriate action. Among other things, the TECs are contracted to deliver the guarantee; they are funded accordingly and will deliver the guarantee.

Sir Anthony Meyer

Does my hon. Friend accept that the concern expressed by my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, West (Mr. Jones) is widely shared? Such people may fall between two stools and benefit more socially than industrially. Is there any basis for recent press reports that the possibility of reviving the community programme is being studied?

Mr. Jackson

I promise my hon. Friend that, according to the boundaries mentioned in an earlier question, we shall keep the position under review. The Government are always reviewing the options open to them in the labour market, but we have no plans to introduce a temporary work scheme [Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Order. I ask the House to listen to Employment questions.

Mr. Fatchett

Does not the Minister realise how complacent and out of touch his answers sound? Up and down the country, those who are involved in running training and enterprise councils and voluntary organisations say that because of the cuts in the Department's training budget more and more young people with special needs are experiencing difficulty in obtaining a place on a training course. Is not it typical of the Government that they put at risk the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in our society?

Mr. Jackson

This is another one of the Labour party's cuts. Expenditure on youth training has increased by £38 million this year.