§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his oral Answer of 25 November 1997,Official Report, column 765, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the decline in youth unemployment in the United Kingdom over the last four years which is attributable (a) to the fall in numbers in that age group and (b) to other factors. [18569]
§ Mr. Doug Henderson[holding answer 1 December 1997]: About 30 per cent. of the reduction in unemployment among young people in the last four years has been due to a decline in the overall population in this age group. The rest is due to a rise in the proportion of young people remaining in full-time education and to the economic upswing, which started earlier in this country than in other major European countries.