HC Deb 03 February 1987 vol 109 cc603-5W
26. Mr. Wallace

asked the Paymaster General what special provision is made by the Manpower Services Commission to enable trainees in remote areas of the United Kingdom to participate fully in YTS off-the-job training courses.

Mr. Trippier

YTS is intended to be mainly a locally based scheme. Where trainees necessarily incur travel or lodging costs. There is provision for managing agents to make the appropriate payments to trainees and claim reimbursement from the Manpower Services Commission.

39. Mr. Nellist

asked the Paymaster General when the level of allowance for participants of youth training schemes will next be increased.

Mr. Trippier

The YTS allowance for first year trainees will increase from £27.30 to £28.50 per week from 6 April 1987. There are no plans at present for further increases in the YTS allowance.

47. Sir Peter Blaker

asked the Paymaster General whether he will estimate how many places in hotels, travel, and catering the Manpower Services Commissions youth training scheme provided in 1986.

Mr. Trippier

I regret that the information requested is not available as the Manpower Services Commission's management information system is not currently collecting YTS statistics by occupation.

YTS does however, make a significant contribution to training in tourism related industries, and at the end of 1985 was providing around 11,000 places in hotel and catering and the travel trade.

62. Mr. Simon Hughes

asked the Paymaster General what training has been given to Manpower Services Commission staff employed as programme managers and programme assessors at the area offices to enable them to carry out the monitoring role required by the two year YTS.

Mr. Trippier

Staff of the Manpower Services Commission receive a comprehensive range of training designed to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to operate effectively.

Staff involved in monitoring YTS undertake a six month training programme linked to individual training needs.

Mr. Sean Hughes

asked the Paymaster General how many people are presently engaged in the YTS in Britain.

Mr. Trippier

On 31 December 1986 there were around 340,000 young people in training on YTS schemes throughout Great Britain.

Sir Fergus Montgomery

asked the Paymaster General if he will make a statement on the progress of the YTS in the Altrincham and Sale area with regard to the one-year and two-year schemes.

Mr. Trippier

I am very pleased with the progress on YTS. Nationally over 1 million young people have joined the youth training scheme since it was introduced in April 1983 and in Altrincham and Sale the position is equally encouraging. Nearly 1,200 joined the one-year youth training scheme in 1985–86 and already over 1,300 have joined YTS since April 1986.

Further, of those who left YTS schemes between April 1985 and March 1986 in Trafford local authority district, which contains Altrincham and Sale, 57 per cent. were in work and 69 per cent. were in either work or further education-training, three months after leaving.

In addition, over 3,000 organisations nationally have applied for approved training organisations status including all 16 organisations currently delivering YTS in the Altrincham and Sale area.

All this demonstrates not only the success of the two-year programme, building on the achievements of the one-year youth training scheme, but also the willingness of employers to play their part, and the benefits to young people of YTS.

Mr. Favell

asked the Paymaster General how many people are currently working (a) in his Department, (b) in the Manpower Services Commission and (c) in his Department's other associated public bodies and agencies under the aegis of the YTS programme.

Mr. Trippier

There are none at present in the Department of Employment Group. However, the Department of Employment and the Manpower Services Commission propose to introduce a YTS scheme this Easter in which initially there will be places for 120 clerical trainees in four different parts of the country.

Mr. Favell

asked the Paymaster General how many people are currently working for British Rail under the YTS programme.

Mr. Trippier

At 28 January 1987, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 1,387 young people in training on YTS with British Rail.

Mr. Favell

asked the Paymaster General how many people are currently working in the water industry under the YTS programme.

Mr. Trippier

I regret that the information requested is not available as the Manpower Services Commission's management information system is not currently collecting YTS statistics by industry classification.

Mr. Favell

asked the Paymaster General how many people are currently working in (a) the coal industry and (b) the electrical supply industry under the YTS programme.

Mr. Trippier

I regret that information is not available in precisely the form requested because the Manpower Services Commissions management information system is no currently collecting YTS statistics by industry classification.

However, at 31 December 1986, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 89 young people in training on YTS with British Coal.

At 14 January 1987, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 1,324 young people in training on YTS with Central Electricity Generating Board.

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