HC Deb 06 March 1981 vol 1000 cc205-6W
Mr. Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what monitoring of companies' use of funds available under work experience and other schemes for youth employment is undertaken by the Manpower Services Commission and his Department to ensure that they do not displace full-time male or female employees or affect their rates of pay and working conditions; and whether he is satisfied with these arrangements in view of representations made to him by hon. Members.

Mr. Peter Morrison

[pursuant to his reply, 3 March 1981, c. 72]: The Manpower Services Commission keeps the monitoring of schemes sponsored under the youth opportunities programme under careful review. Before approval can be given, all proposals for new YOP schemes must undergo a close initial appraisal to ensure the criteria of the programme will be met. This appraisal involves consulting the relevant trade unions, the local job centre and careers offices. When approved, schemes are monitored to ensure that the sponsor is operating them correctly. These monitoring procedures are at present under review because of the expansion of the programme to 440,000 places in 1981–82.

Mr. Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what kind of representations he has received from hon. Members and trades unions about the misuse by companies of funds available under work experience and youth opportunities programme schemes for using young people in place of normal full-time employees; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Morrison

[pursuant to his reply, 3 March 1981, c. 72]: The youth opportunities programme is a locally devolved programme. A network of area boards vets each scheme application before approval is given. Each board has representatives from local employers, trade unions and other appropriate organisations. Any difficulties are usually cleared at the local level.

In the past 12 months, I have received five letters from hon. Members specifically on the misuse of the programme and answered two parliamentary questions on this subject.

Trade unions are represented on the Manpower Services Commission's special programmes board, which oversees the programme nationally. YOP has the full support of the TUC and its constituent unions at a national level.

I am concerned about the possibility of substitution of employees by work experience trainees. The MSC is currently reviewing arrangements for the appraisal of individual schemes and for monitoring the programme as a whole.