§ 27. Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate the proportion of the 370,000 unemployed 16 and 17-year-olds as at January 1984 who were taking advantage of the 21-hour rule.
§ Sir Keith JosephThe provisional estimate of the number of unemployed 16 and 17-year-olds claiming benefit at January 1984 is 270,000, not 370,000. It is not possible to provide information about the proportion of this group undertaking part-time study while seeking employment but a recent report by the Youthaid organisation indicated that the number of 16 to 18-year-olds in England taking advantage of the 21-hours rule in 1981–82 probably exceeded 5,000.