§ Dr. Hampsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the gross cost and the cost per place of the work experience on employers' premises schemes; and how many places will be available in 1978–9.
§ Mr. Golding,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13th June 1978], gave the following answer:
I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the gross cost of the work experience on employers' premises scheme during 1978–9 is estimated to be approximately £43 million. The cost per place per week is £19.50, to which should be added a small sum to cover the cost of associated further education provision. It is envisaged that the number of places available under the scheme will be at an average level of 40,000 during 1978–79.
§ Dr. Hampsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many places are available on the other work experience projects programme; and what is the gross cost of the programme and the cost per place.
§ Mr. Golding,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13th June 1978], gave the following answer:
I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that, according to the most recently available statistics, the number of places currently available under the project-based work experience and community service elements of the youth opportunities programme is approximately 950. Since the YOP is now in a phase of rapid build-up, it should be noted that the estimated number of young 557W people who will pass through schemes of this sort in the fiscal year 1978–79 is in excess of 30,000.
The cost per place per week is approximately £38, which includes the associated cost of wages for adult supervisors employed by sponsors of these schemes and of administrative overheads. In the fiscal year 1978–9 the gross cost of these schemes is expected to be approximately £40 million.
§ Dr. Hampsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many places will be on the new work experience programme and what is the estimated gross cost of the programme, the cost per place and the level of grant or allowances which participants receive.
§ Mr. Golding,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13th June 1978], gave the following answer:
I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the estimated gross cost of the work experience elements of the YOP—that is, work experience on employers' premises, training workshops, community service and project-based work experience—during the financial year 1978–79 is approximately £100 million. The cost per place averaged over the four kinds of scheme will be approximately £27 per week. Young people participating in the youth opportunities programme are paid a standard allowance of £19.50 per week irrespective of the kind of scheme upon which they are engaged or their ages. The allowance is not taxable and neither sponsors nor young people pay national insurance contributions.
It is not possible at present to give a figure for the number of places which will be available on all the work experience elements of the YOP. It can be said, however, that the numbers of young people passing through schemes of this sort will comfortably meet the targets set out in the report of the working party on young people and work.