§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will now relax the rule which requires young people to await for six weeks as registered unemployed before being accepted for the youth opportunities programme, in view of the deterimental effect on such people of being acclimatised to unemployment as part of this system.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 23 May 1980, c. 433]: No. The great majority of young people get jobs in the normal way. The youth opportunities programme is reserved for those who have difficulties in finding work. The purpose of the six weeks rule is to ensure therefore that the programme is reserved for this disadvantage group and does not attract those who are able to find employment without the help of YOP.
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of Essex school leavers failed to find work or places under the youth opportunities programmes during the last year.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 23 May 1980, c. 437]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that on the 10 April 1980 there were no 1979 school leavers remaining in Essex for whom provision has still to be made. Of the 43 1979 school leavers still registered as unemployed, 33 had refused one or more offers of suitable places, five had been accepted for and were waiting to take up an opportunity and, of the remaining five, an offer would have been inappropriate because they were either waiting to take up employment or a course of further education or for domestic reasons they could not take up an opportunity.