Baroness SharpiesMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many young people will benefit from the introduction of the new Headstart scheme, launched in six of the eight areas covered by the inner cities initiative, and what effect it is hoped to achieve.
§ The Secretary of State for Employment (Lord Young of Graffham)My Lords, the inner cities headstart scheme operating in the six task force areas will provide initial information and advice on self-employment to some 3,000 young people. I am confident that the record of the industrial society in enterprise training will ensure that Headstart makes a most effective contribution to the training of young people from our inner cities.
§ Baroness SharplesMy Lords, while I thank my noble friend for that reply—it seems an excellent scheme—perhaps I may ask him whether he thinks that industrialists will do enough to ensure that this scheme is really successful.
§ Lord Young of GraffhamMy Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend, but I suspect that the way in which Headstart will operate will be to help self-employment for young people, as we have found over the years that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get industrialists, for obvious self-evident reasons, to move to the inner cities. Therefore the purpose of the inner city initiative as a whole is to take eight areas in the country and to see what we can do to restore to the inner cities that which used to be theirs—an entrepreneurial society.
§ Lord MolloyMy Lords, is there anything in hand to make use of the training when it is completed by the young people so that they can carry on being employed, using the training they have received, and not simply be unemployed?
§ Lord Young of GraffhamYes, my Lords. The whole purpose of this training (and where it is innovative) is that it is directing young people towards the advantages, and, if they accept, towards training for self-employment so that they can begin not only to work for themselves, but, hopefully, in the fullness of time, to employ others.
§ Lord SandysMy Lords, can my noble friend tell the House whether the Government's intention is to extend from the six areas in the inner city initiative to all the eight areas, if it were successful in its initiation?
§ Lord Young of GraffhamMy Lords, the purpose of this scheme is to learn. When we have learnt, we shall see how far and to where we should extend it.