§ Mr. Clemitsonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is her estimate of what would be the gross cost of providing grants for young people in full-time education between the ages of 16 and 18 years (a) an equivalent rate to the payment which young people will receive under the youth opportunities programme and (b) an equivalent rate to the supplementary benefit which an unemployed young person at present receives, resectively.
§ Mr. OakesPrecise figures are not available, but it is estimated that the gross costs of paying non-means-tested awards to all young people aged 16–18 in full-time education at the youth opportunities programme allowance rate or at supplementary benefit level might be of the order of £1,000 million or £500 million respectively.