§ 5. Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the implications of the Chancellor's autumn statement for training provision in Scotland.
§ Mr. StewartTraining provision for Scotland is one component of the figures for my right hon. Friend's overall programme that were announced as part of the autumn statement. It reflects a division of overall training provision for Great Britain, determined on the basis of relevant factors, such as relative unemployment. The marked improvement in Scotland's relative unemployment position since last year means that our share of overall training provision is smaller.
§ Mr. WorthingtonIn September, the Department of Employment let it be known that there was a shortfall of more than 9,500 training places for young people in Scotland, and there is a mounting level of long-term unemployment. Can the Government promise that when there is an allocation of resources to training, there will be an increase to meet that shortfall?
§ Mr. StewartI can give the hon. Gentleman the absolute assurance that in the past couple of days I have checked with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise on the youth training guarantee. It is being met and will continue to be met.
§ Mr. Bill WalkerWill my hon. Friend confirm that, since 1979, the Government have increased the allocation of funds for training to thousands of millions of pounds, that additional training places have always been found to meet the requirements and that this is far in excess of anything ever achieved under any Labour Government?
§ Mr. StewartMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. This Government are clearly committed to an effective training policy. It is output which matters, not input. Even on the measure of public expenditure to which Opposition Members pay such attention, in real terms this Government are spending two and a half times more on training than the last Labour Government.
§ Mr. McFallStatistics on the youth training programme in Scotland show that at the end of the scheme 282 year, more than 60 per cent. of young people find themselves back on the dole. With the economic slump closing 200 Scottish firms every week, and unemployment having risen 30 months in succession and touching almost 250,000, what advice does the Minister have for those youngsters? They must feel, at that early age, that there is no future for them. They followed the Government's advice, underwent training, and now find themselves unemployed and worse off than before. Is it not the case that the autumn statement holds out nothing more than the bleakest of Christmases, and beyond, for Scotland's young?
§ Mr. StewartI am surprised that the hon. Gentleman undermines the effectiveness of the youth training scheme. No one suggests that everyone who undertakes training will automatically obtain employment at the end of it, but the Government's youth training guarantee for young people is given by no other European Community country.
§ Mr. McLeishBut it is not being honoured.
§ Mr. StewartMy answer to the hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. McLeish) is that the guarantee is being met, though I know that he constantly issues press releases saying that it is not. I checked with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in the past couple of days that the youth guarantee is being met.