§ Q8. Mr. RichardsTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 17 May.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. RichardsDoes my right hon. Friend agree that sharpening the skills of our schoolchildren will improve the competitive edge of the economy in the future? Does he welcome the recently announced statistics showing that more of our schoolchildren are staying on at school than ever before?
§ The Prime MinisterI do welcome that, just as I welcome the fact that the number of people who are unemployed is falling and has been consistently for 15 months. Some years ago, about one in eight of young people went on to further education; that figure is now one in three. Some 70 per cent. of our 16-year-olds are now in full-time education. I am sure that that trend is right and I thoroughly welcome it.