Youth Service (Hansard, 28 March 1983)

§ Mr. Foster
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has had discussions with organisations representing the youth service on how the youth service contribution to the youth training scheme can be increased.

§ Mr. William Shelton
The contribution of the youth service to the youth training scheme is primarily a matter for dialogue between representatives of the various parts of the service and the Manpower Services Commission. A representative of voluntary youth organisations sits on the youth training board, and the advisory group on content and standards for YTS have also had discussions with a representative of the youth service. Paragraph 17 of circular 6/82 encouraged the youth service to continue to make its valuable contribution to MSC schemes.

§ Mr. Foster
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he takes into account rising youth unemployment, crime and homelessness in allocating funds to local education authorities for the youth service.

§ Mr. William Shelton
The distribution of block grant (which is paid in support of local authorities' expenditure in all services, including the youth service) is based upon an assessment of local authorities' spending needs. In the case of the youth service, although the assessment does not take direct account of measures of youth unemployment, crime and homelessness, it does incorporate various social and economic factors, such as low income and poor housing.

§ Mr. Foster
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much has been spent on youth service projects by local education authorities at constant prices for each year since 1975.

§ Mr. William Shelton
Measured from the base of the 1981–82 outturn of expenditure, the local education authorities (England) capital expenditure, at constant prices, on the Youth Service since 1975 is as follows:

Constant prices (1981–82 prices)

(£ million)

1975–76 8.1

1976–77 8.8

1977–78 4.0

1978–79 5.8

1979–80 7.0

1980–81 5.2

1981–82 2.9

§ Mr. Foster
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much has been spent on the youth service by local education authorities at constant prices for each year since 1975.

§ Mr. William Shelton
Local authority recurrent expenditure on the youth service since 1975–76, expressed at 1981–82 outturn prices, has been as follows:
27W

£ million

(1981–82 outturn prices)

1975–76 76

1976–77 79

1977–78 80

1978–79 87

1979–80 87

1980–81 85

1981–82 87

§ Mr. Foster
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any estimate of the levels of full-time and part-time staffing in the youth service for each year since 1975.

§ Mr. William Shelton
The best available information about staffing levels in the Youth Service is to be found in chapter 10 of the report of the review group on the youth service—"Experience and Participation"—which was published in October 1982 (Command No. 8686), a copy of which is in the Library.

§ Mr. Foster
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of local education authorities' expenditure was spent on the youth service in each year since 1975.

§ Mr. William Shelton
The proportion of local education authorities' expenditure spent on the youth service in each year since 1975–76 has been as follows:

per cent.

1975–76 .88

1976–77 .86

1977–78 .92

1978–79 .96

1979–80 .98

1980–81 .98

1981–82 1.02

	Constant prices (1981–82 prices)
	(£ million)
1975–76	8.1
1976–77	8.8
1977–78	4.0
1978–79	5.8
1979–80	7.0
1980–81	5.2
1981–82	2.9

	£ million
	(1981–82 outturn prices)
1975–76	76
1976–77	79
1977–78	80
1978–79	87
1979–80	87
1980–81	85
1981–82	87

	per cent.
1975–76	.88
1976–77	.86
1977–78	.92
1978–79	.96
1979–80	.98
1980–81	.98
1981–82	1.02