§ Ms. Clare Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will give the figures for 1982, 1983 and 1984, nationally and for the west midlands, for males and females of (a) the numbers of young people employed under the young workers scheme, (b) the average length of their employment under the scheme, (c) the average total amounts in subsidy paid to employers per worker and (d) the average wage offered to young workers employed under the scheme as declared on the application form YWS 1 (Rev 2);
(2) if he will give the figures since 1982, nationally and for the west midlands, of the numbers of young people 583W employed under the young workers scheme who, under the scheme, have continued their employment for (a) up to six months, (b) up to 12 months and (c) 12 months or longer;
(3) if he will provide figures showing the total expenditure of his Department in 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1985 to date, on the young workers scheme, giving details of (a) advertising costs and (b) average cost per placement under the scheme.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe number of approved applications and expenditure on the scheme nationally since it opened in January 1982 was as follows:
Expenditure Great Britain £ million Approved Applications Great Britain Approved Applications West million Midlands 1982–83 40.7 *174,442 *17,945 1983–84 58.3 129,538 15,416 1984–85 (to date) 34.9 63,976 8,618 * Includes applications approved January-March 1982 Total publicity expenditure over the same period has been £366,000.
Information on the duration of support, average subsidy paid, average wage or post-scheme experience is not available in the form requested, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. A sample survey carried out by social and community planning research in 1983 estimated that the average of the grants paid was then £13.58p a week; since 1 April 1984 a single level of grant of £15 a week has been payable in respect of each application approved. The 1983 survey also estimated that the average wage payable to those joining the scheme was then £35.50p. The maximum period an individual can be supported under the scheme is 12 months and the survey suggested an average period of actual support of nine months. 90 per cent. of employers indicated that they would keep the young person on after the period of support had ended. The survey evidence indicated that of the young people supported by the scheme, 54 per cent. were male and 46 per cent. female. It is estimated that in 1984–85 the average gross cost per person supported under the scheme was £560.