§ 3.20 p.m.
§ Baroness DavidMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they propose to take about those 16-year-olds who have failed to find a place this autumn in a school or further education establishment.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Belstead)My Lords, there is as yet no firm evidence that 16-year-olds in England and Wales wishing to continue in full-time education have not been able to do so, though some will not have been able to gain entry to their first choice of course or institution. To help local education authorities cater for the growing demand for full-time education from 16 to 19-year-olds, the Government are providing for an additional £60 million of public expenditure in Great Britain in 1982–83 and for further expenditure in the following two years. For those young people who do not wish to remain in education or do not get a place at school or college, and become unemployed, the Youth Opportunities Programme, which provides courses of work experience and training, has been expanded to 550,000 places in the current year.
§ Baroness DavidMy Lords, while thanking the Minister for that Answer, may I ask whether he is aware that my Question refers to this autumn, so that the £60 million for 1982–83 is really not relevant, although of course we are pleased to have it? Is the noble Lord aware that while he may not have evidence of 16-year-olds not getting places, I have such evidence applying all over the country where technical colleges or colleges of further education have had to reject students? I will name a few: Hampshire, 400; Cumbria, 150; Kent, Thanet Technical College, 224; Sheffield, Granville College of Further Education, 437; Liverpool, Collquitt College, 422; Clwyd, 180; and I have details of many more all over the country. Is the Minister aware that these young people have applied for specific courses and that while the YOP programmes may be very good, these young people wish to do some particular thing, and that therefore it seems a great waste that either they should have to wait for YOP programmes or their particular abilities and desires cannot be met, and they are left unemployed?
§ Lord BelsteadMy Lords, the unknown factor in the details which the noble Baroness gave is how far those students obtain a place elsewhere or on another course in the same institution; at present, from the figures, we do not know. However, it is highly relevant that this very substantial increase in funds is being made available for the future.
§ Baroness GaitskellMy Lords, in supporting my noble friend in her Question, may I ask the Minister whether it would not be true to say that, in view of the sad facts, the Government are not only hardhearted but are a thoroughly philistine Government?
§ Lord BelsteadThe noble Baroness is habitually fair, my Lords, and when I remind her that earlier this year the Government, together with the local education authorities, sat down and then published a major review entitled Education for 16-19 Year Olds, and then have provided the funds to match those plans for the future, I think the noble Baroness will perhaps take a rather more charitable view of the Government's activities.
§ Lord Davies of LeekMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware of Ruskin's famous axiom that there is no wealth but life? The most important life is our young. Consequently, is the Minister aware that, in the micro-electronic age in which we are now to live, whatever party is in power will have a problem of creating employment in the new kind of electronic society? Is the noble Lord therefore aware that these 16-year-olds should be having a chance to get further training? As 14 per cent. of teachers who qualified last year are still out of work and as 25 per cent. of that 14 per cent. are qualified for higher education and further educational activities, is the Minister aware that the nation would be doing a blessing for itself if it saw to it that those kids and teachers got to work in the type of teaching that is needed for the future?
§ Lord BelsteadThe noble Lord calls for further training, my Lords. There is nothing between the Government and the noble Lord in that, for substantial additional resources have been added to the training programme. In addition, the new Young Workers' Scheme, as it is called, will certainly stimulate youth employment.
§ Baroness DavidIf I may ask a final supplementary question, my Lords, may I ask whether the Minister would agree that senior pupils as defined in Section 114 of the 1944 Act—that is, pupils from 12 to 19—have a right under Sections 8(b) and 41 of that Act to education either at a school or further education establishment?
§ Lord BelsteadThat is precisely why we are making additional resources available, my Lords.