HC Deb 01 December 1992 vol 215 cc133-4
11. Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the youth training scheme.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

More than three quarters of all young people who complete their YT training go into a job, further education or training. I am concerned, however, about the operation of the YT guarantee, and my right hon. Friend has taken steps to ensure that every training and enterprise council meets its obligations.

Mr. French

Is my hon. Friend completely satisfied that, in terms of monitoring and organising YT placements, there can no longer be any grounds for trainees to say that their time is not well used because they are required to make the tea or sweep the floor?

Mr. Forsyth

I am not entirely satisfied about any aspect of YT, but credit should be given to the extent to which the scheme is a considerable success. My hon. Friend will know that his own TEC—Gloucester TEC—is doing extremely well on the delivery of YT, with 90 per cent. of those involved getting a job in or at the end of their period of training. I agree with my hon. Friend that we have to continue to improve the monitoring of the YT scheme and to ensure that more of its output is related to its funding, which is precisely what my right hon. Friend has done since her appointment as Secretary of State.

Mr. Llwyd

Does the Minister accept that, dealing with the YT scheme in general, it is high time that the Government made funding available for young people to take job opportunities so that they are able to take full part in the scheme? In rural areas, they are paid insufficient to enable them to travel to take up YT.

Yesterday I was discussing this very subject with various people in north Wales. The main impediment to the take-up of YT schemes unfortunately is that very matter. Will the Government rethink?

Mr. Forsyth

The hon. Gentleman is making a serious point which is worthy of consideration. There are problems in rural areas. One effect of the flexibility to which my right hon. Friend was able to get agreement, and which will apply to TECs under the new proposals, is that there will be more scope to tackle the difficulties which the hon. Gentleman has identified.