Youth Unemployment (Hansard, 1 February 2000)

§ Lord Hardy of Wath
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What has been the reduction since May 1997 in the number of young people who are neither in employment nor in training or education; and whether they expect that this number will be further reduced during the next two years.

§ The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone)
My Lords, at 9 per cent of the population, the number of 16 to 18 year-olds who are not in employment, education or training has remained stable since 1997. Over the same period, the number of unemployed 18 to 24 year-olds has fallen by a quarter and long-term youth unemployment has more than halved. Helping young people who are at risk of social exclusion is a priority of the Government, who are introducing measures to raise educational standards, to provide better services to support young people, and to encourage them to remain in learning.

§ Lord Hardy of Wath
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply, which suggests that inroads are being made into this most serious and socially corrosive employment problem. However, will my noble friend assure the House that, despite all the many and worthy calls for priority with regard to government resources, this issue will continue to be a priority in order to provide prospects and hope for young people?

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, I think I can provide the reassurance that my noble friend seeks. The Government are committed to making this issue a major priority. These figures relate to young people who are not doing anything. They are not at school; they are not in further education; they are not in any form of work-based training; nor are they in any form of full-time or part-time education. It is a terrible waste. We have to crack this long-standing problem. We are determined to do so and we are putting forward a comprehensive package in order to reach these young people.

§ Lord Tope
My Lords, is the Minister aware of the findings of the Children's Society report entitled Still Running that some 16 and 17 year-olds who are forced to leave home by their parents are unable to obtain severe hardship payments of income support because they are unable or unwilling to contact their parents to obtain the necessary documents to verify their identity? Do the Government have any plans to alleviate that problem?

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, the Government are aware of the Children's Society report and, indeed, were aware that some young people in this situation face problems in getting not just the financial help but also the advice and support that they may need. The Government are tackling this issue and are putting together a comprehensive integrated service that will support such young people. However, the Government believe that they should be in education and training. The Careers Service therefore has a crucial role to play not just in providing them with advice about education and training, but also in helping them to get the financial support that they may need if they qualify for hardship JSA.

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that recently published figures for Scotland show that 31 per cent of young people on New Deal programmes have disappeared without trace, 15 per cent have moved on to other benefits and 22 per cent have left for reasons other than a full-time job? What are the comparable figures for England?

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, I cannot give the noble Baroness specific comparable figures in such detail, but I should be very happy to write to her. What I can say is that the New Deal has been a resounding success in providing job opportunities for more than 125,000 young people.

§ Lord Morris of Manchester
My Lords, since in many parts of Britain, as my noble friend will know, unemployment among disabled people seeking work is up to six times higher than for other people, does she have any figures for the number of young people with disabilities who are still neither in employment nor in training or education?

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, once again I cannot give the precise statistics for the number of disabled young people in that category, but I am happy to write to my noble friend. The Government have done a number of different things to improve opportunities for disabled young people, including making available allowances for those who have disabilities and who are full-time students.

§ Baroness Gardner of Parkes
My Lords, what effort is being made to match these young people with areas of work where there is still great need? The noble Lord, Lord Morris, mentioned disabled people. There are many disabled people who want someone to come and care for them, or even merely to be a presence with them in their own home. Now that there is a basic minimum wage, there is no suggestion that this would be an underpaid occupation. What effort is being made to match the requirements in the health service for many more care assistants with these young people, who would be well suited to train and proceed with these activities?

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, the Government are concerned about skill shortages in general, wherever they may be. The task force has been asked to advise the Government on ways in which vacancies can be filled in areas where there are shortages, both regionally and in particular occupations. I entirely accept the noble Baroness's comment about the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities who need either full-time or part-time care should be given proper support. Many young women in particular are interested in doing this work, and training programmes in this area are being extended.

§ Lord Woolmer of Leeds
My Lords, recognising the importance of further education in alleviating these difficulties and helping to reduce youth unemployment, I ask my noble friend whether he can confirm that there has been an increase in the number of students in further education.

§ Baroness Blackstone
Yes, my Lords, there has been a very substantial increase. The Government have a commitment to a further 700,000 students in further education, and there has been a 15 per cent increase in the numbers entering further education over the past four years. Moreover, the Government are also making it easier for 14 to 16 year-olds in full-time schooling to spend some time out of school in work-related training in FE colleges, which we believe will help to motivate some of the more disaffected young people.