§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will take steps to collect figures 383W on the numbers of local authority social services departments charging board and lodging to 16-year-olds in care who are unemployed or on youth opportunity programmes;
(2) if he will take steps to require local authority social services departments not to charge board and lodging to 16-year-olds in care who are unemployed or on youth opportunity programmes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 29 June 1982, c. 292–93.]: Young people in care who are unemployed will generally be eligible for unemployment benefit or 384W supplementary benefit. Those on youth opportunities programmes receive a training allowance. In both cases the young people receive sufficient to enable them to contribute towards their keep, and I consider it appropriate that local authorities should ask them to do so. At present, local authorities have no power to require these young people to make a contribution and we intend to seek an early opportunity to legislate to provide such a power. This will bring the position into line with the power local authorities already have to require such a contribution from young people in care who are earning.