§ 44. Mr. Haynesasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he proposes to raise the youth training scheme allowance from £25 to £30 as advocated by the Trades Union Congress.
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§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mr. Craigen) on 3 March.—[Vol. 38, c.212.]
§ 47. Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what sum he is setting aside for funding the new youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe youth training scheme will come into full operation in September. We have allocated about £1 billion to the scheme in 1983–84 and £1.1 billion in 1984–85.
§ 50. Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress is being made with finding sponsors for the youth training scheme; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonA total of 100,000 new training places under the youth opportunities programme will be converted to training places under the youth training scheme. We are in discussion with a large number of employers about the provision of further places and some 65,000 have so far been promised by large firms. The Manpower Services Commission has recently undertaken a major campaign to attract support for the scheme and this has had an encouraging response.
§ 67. Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for obtaining places on the youth training scheme for young people leaving school at Easter 1983.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonWe have guaranteed an early offer of a place on the youth training scheme to all unemployed 16-year-old school leavers, including those who leave school at Easter.
§ Mr. John Evansasked the Secretary of State for Employment in relation to mode A of the youth training scheme, how the Manpower Services Commission will ascertain a company's normal intake when seeking its 3 : 2 ratio of unemployed to employed.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonA company's normal intake will be assessed from its recent recruitment of 16-year-olds. In most cases the number recruited in 1982 will be the base figure.
§ Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many youth training scheme places he expects to be located in (a) the British Steel Corporation, (b) British Aerospace and (c) other nationlised industries in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI expect the nationalised industries to play a significant part in the youth training scheme and the Manpower Services Commission is currently discussing with them the number of places they will provide.
§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Employment when the Manpower Services Commission's youth training board will announce details of eligibility for places under the new youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonGuidance on eligibility will be issued shortly to potential managing agents and others responsible for implementing the scheme.