HC Deb 19 October 1993 vol 230 cc133-4
5. Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of Stale for Employment what steps he has taken to provide employment for 1993 school leavers.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment (Miss Ann Widdecombe)

All young people aged 16 and 17 are already guaranteed a place on youth training. Figures show that, if one has a qualification, one is more likely to be in employment. Those aged 18 or over benefit from a wide range of employment and training measures. I am delighted to say that, as a result of economic recovery and the YT guarantee, the increase in unemployment in July and August, when school leavers enter the labour market, was fewer than 10,000, compared with more than 90,000 for the same months last year.

Mrs. Dunwoody

When the Minister stops being quite so pleased with herself, would she like to consider the fact that there are 22 people searching for every job vacancy? Will she seriously address the problem of youth unemployment, which is not only a disgrace to the country, but a great waste of human resources for which we shall all pay in the future?

Miss Widdecombe

Dear, dear, dear. What little rays of sunshine the Opposition are. Perhaps I could spread some light and sunshine by pointing out to the hon. Lady that, in her constituency, there are only 33 young people waiting more than eight weeks for their offer. Therefore, youth employment is under considerable control in her constituency. Why does not she encourage the young people instead of trying to depress them?

Sir Michael Neubert

As the matter has been raised by the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody), is not it apposite to point out that the Labour party's proposals for a minimum wage would severely worsen young people's prospects of employment? Has not that been the experience in France? Is not youth unemployment there higher than here?

Miss Widdecombe

Indeed. We have considerably lower youth unemployment than several countries in Europe and we are below the European average. If we were to sign up to a national minimum wage, or to the social chapter of which the Opposition are so fond, we should probably find ourselves on the European average or even worse. So once again, our policies have proved to be the best for the young people of Britain and my hon. Friend is right.

Ms Eagle

Will the Minister admit that only one of the 22 people chasing each vacancy will be successful? Will not the hon. Lady also admit that when the Secretary of State for Employment left school there were more jobs than there were people looking for them? When will the Tory Government give our school leavers the same job opportunities that the post-war Labour Government gave them?

Miss Widdecombe

I need no lectures from the Opposition on opportunities for the young, because when we took over in 1979 only 28 per cent. of them stayed on in further education in schools. Today the figure is 56 per cent. We are devoted—[Interruption.]—The Opposition have summed up their view beautifully. They see education and training not as skilling for jobs but as optional. That is the philosophy of the dark ages. Training and education are essential if we are to have an internationally competitive work force. Our record on training and education is second to none. The Opposition merely have that of which they should be thoroughly ashamed.

Mr. John Townend

Does my hon. Friend agree that we should make education more relevant to the needs of the workplace? Is not the best help that we can give school leavers the elimination of illiteracy and innumeracy? Our education reforms are more likely to do that and is not it a scandal that they are opposed by the Opposition?

Miss Widdecombe

My hon. Friend is right. Our education reforms are crucially designed to ensure that people are equipped to enter the world of work. The training and enterprise councils that we have set up and which are operating so successfully exist specifically to bring business and education closer together and our education and business partnerships are doing just that. What have the Opposition to show? Have they one single initiative, one single proposed policy, that would do more than our policies are doing at the moment?