HC Deb 28 June 1994 vol 245 c676
13. Mr. Jacques Arnold

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to improve the careers service.

Miss Widdecombe

A new framework for providing careers services is now in place which should see a more flexible, effective and higher quality careers service, giving greater value for money for clients and the taxpayer alike.

Mr. Arnold

My hon. Friend will know that the range of careers available to young people nowadays is much wider than ever before. In what ways is the careers service ensuring that our young people have a full grasp of that wide range of opportunities?

Miss Widdecombe

My hon. Friend is right: there are more opportunities for young people than ever before. They will be enhanced yet again in September when modern apprenticeship prototypes become available in a whole range of new opportunities. Government investment in the careers service has resulted in more impartial, more frequent and better quality advice. As the second round of the pathfinders exercise is completed, those good effects will spread. Not even Labour Members can resist congratulating the Government on modern apprenticeships, accelerated apprenticeships, the new careers guidance announced in the White Paper—

Madam Speaker

Order. The answer is far too long. I have other hon. Members to call.

Mr. Hardy

While one has great sympathy with, and appreciates the work of, the careers service, can the Minister tell the House whether the advice of the careers service is to ensure that young people seeking assistance are warned that many of the jobs that they will be persuaded to take will provide salaries or wages of £2.20 an hour, as offered to some of my adult constituents, and would therefore allow the Minister to describe them as economically active? Would the Minister also describe them as economically and socially deprived?

Miss Widdecombe

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that no inaccurate advice is given by the careers service.