§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he is satisfied that the careers service is adequately staffed to cope with the recent increases in the young unemployed and the increases projected by the Manpower Services Commission;
(2) what additional staff and funds have been allocated to the careers services to cope with increased youth unemployment and the services' responsibilities in the youth opportunities programme since May 1979.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonLocal education authorities are responsible for determining the staffing levels of their careers services to enable them to perform their statutory functions. To assist the careers service to deal with high unemployment and to fulfil its role in the youth opportunities programme, 665 additional posts have been made available since May 1979 in Great Britain as a whole under the Government's directly funded strengthening scheme. This brings the total to 1,305 posts at an estimated cost of £13.4 million in a full year and includes 240 posts allocated from 1 April 1982 when the clerical allowance for each post under the scheme will be increased from 10 to 15 per cent. of the cost of a clerical post. The adequacy of the provision made under the scheme is kept under regular review.
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is able to make a statement about the careers services' role in the proposed youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe proposals for the new youth training scheme were announced in the White Paper "A New Training Initiative: A Programme For Action"—Cmnd. 8455—and the scheme is to be introduced to cover all unemployed minimum age school leavers by September 1983. The White Paper recognised that the careers service would have to meet a new challenge, especially in counselling the trainees on the scheme, and in working with people employed on the scheme, whether in colleges or in schemes, and see that all young people receive necessary advice and support. Detailed arrangements for the operation of the scheme will be worked out over the coming months.
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the amounts allocated in the rate support grants for the careers service are being spent on the service.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonRate support grant is an unhypothecated block grant in support of local revenue so that decisions on the actual level of careers service expenditure rest with the local education authorities.