HL Deb 08 February 1994 vol 551 cc1497-9

2.55 p.m.

Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have anything to add to Lord Henley's Written Answer of 19th January 1994 (col. WA52) to the question of what percentage of those reaching school leaving age in Doncaster in September 1992 registered for youth training, but did not find either youth training or employment.

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, no, but if any young people, or someone acting on their behalf, believe that the guarantee is not being met for them they should bring that to the attention of their local training and enterprise council as soon as possible.

Earl Russell

My Lords, perhaps I may express my sympathy with the noble Viscount that he was unable to discover the answer to my Question. Does the noble Viscount recall on 23rd June last reproving me, quite rightly, for failing to make use of the detailed, accurate and comprehensive information provided each month by the careers service? Will he take note that had he used that information on this occasion he would have discovered that in addition to 6 per cent. of the age group who disappear from the records and 6 per cent. who leave the area, a further 6.4 per cent. register for youth training without finding a place or employment? Was that not a rather incurious approach to a Parliamentary Question? Further, can the noble Viscount assure me that other answers from the department on the youth training guarantee are better researched and more reliable than this one?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, the point is that the historic information the noble Earl seeks cannot be provided as the monitoring arrangements were not in place at that time. However, I can tell the noble Earl that the situation in Doncaster is very encouraging. On 13th January this year there were only five young people in the Barnsley and Doncaster TEC area who were covered by the YT guarantee and had been waiting for eight weeks or more and there were over 4,000 in training.

Lord Stallard

My Lords, will the Minister accept that I intervene for two reasons? First, I sympathise with the noble Earl in his search for accurate information. We are all becoming very concerned about this lack of decent research into Questions. I am myself a victim of a written reply today which might just as well not have appeared because it means nothing. Can the noble Viscount explain to me the answer that the noble Earl, Lord Russell, received on 19th January? The Answer states: The information requested is not available". Information for September 1992 was not available. The Answer continued: However, on 9 December, the latest date for which figures are available". How can figures be available for December while the September figures are not available? Why could not the Government tell us what happened a couple of months before? The matter has just not been researched.

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, the point is that the arrangements for monitoring the YT guarantee were only introduced in September 1992 following an announcement by the then Secretary of State for Employment in July. It took some time for the arrangements to be developed and become reliable.

Lord Henderson of Brompton

My Lords, if this important information was not available at the latter end of last year, will the noble Viscount assure the House that it will be available in future? How otherwise can the Government gauge the validity of their YT guarantee or the House be properly informed?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, I have explained why the information was not available at that time. I have given the noble Earl, Lord Russell, the present figures and details of the present situation in that TEC area.

Baroness Turner of Camden

My Lords, the Minister will know that we on this side of the House have long been worried about the small minority of young people who fall through the net. They do not benefit from a youth training guarantee; they are not at school and do not have employment. I understand, of course, that there is a hardship allowance arrangement in operation. Can the noble Viscount tell the House how many young people in that position are covered by hardship allowance arrangements? I gather that those allowances are rather hard to obtain.

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, the latest monthly figures indicate that in April 1993 12,521 claims were received under the severe hardship provision, of which 10,759, which is 86 per cent., were successful.

Earl Russell

My Lords, since the noble Viscount was unable to discover the answer to the Question, will he explain why I was able to do so? Perhaps I may also ask him to take note that the cost of doing so was 48 pence. Can he assure us that he does not regard that cost as disproportionate?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, I believe that I have explained in great detail why the information which the noble Earl sought was not available. Under the present arrangements the information is available for the current situation.

Lord Stallard

My Lords, the noble Earl has just stated that he was able to obtain the information. It was available. It cost him 48 pence to obtain it. Is it the cost which worries the Government?

Viscount Goschen

My Lords, no. The Government are concerned with reliable official statistics.