HC Deb 10 November 1933 vol 48 cc217-8W
Mr. Foster

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if there is any evidence of more school leavers being placed into employment than the Manpower Services Commission anticipated nationally and in the north of England.

Mr. Peter Morrison

The evidence is that in the third quarter of 1983, for the first time in four years, there were more people at work than there were in the previous quarter.

There is at this stage no definite national or regional evidence of the number of young people gaining employment since leaving school this summer. There are, however, indications that the number of school leavers entering employment in the country as a whole has been somewhat higher than for the same period last year.

Mr. Foster

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if there is any evidence that small firms are recruiting school leavers into full-time employment rather than participating in youth training schemes.

Mr. Peter Morrison

No. The indications are that rather more youngsters than expected are going into employment outside the youth training scheme, but small firms are certainly making a major contribution to the scheme.

Mr. Foster

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the rate of unemployment among under 18-year-olds.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 14 July 1983, the latest date for which the quarterly age analysis is available, the estimated unemployment rate for under 18-year-olds in the United Kingdom was 21.3 per cent.

Mr. Kaufman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, consequent upon the answer to the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett) on 2 November, Official Report, c. 395–396, concerning school leavers in Leeds, he will provide comparable figures for (a) the area covered by the county of greater Manchester, (b) the area covered by the city of Manchester, and (c) the area covered by the Gorton constituency of Manchester.

Mr. Peter Morrison

Of those 16-year-old school leavers in the county of Manchester whose whereabouts were known to the careers service at 9 November and who had not gone into any form of further or higher education, 33 per cent. had found employment, and 47 per cent. were on the youth training scheme. The corresponding figures for the city of Manchester are 33 per cent. and 42 per cent. respectively.

Figures for the Gorton constituency are not available.