§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will set out in tabular form (a) the sum of money allocated in the financial year 1983–84 for the youth traning scheme, (b) the actual sum so far spent, (c) the number of places allocated nationally for the scheme and (d) the number of places so far taken up.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe information requested is:
Total allocated for youth training purposes in 1983–84* £852 million Actual expenditure to end October* £390 million Overall entrants target for YTS in 1983–84 460,000 Actual entrants to 10 November 261,000 * Excluding MSC administration costs.
§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of young people currently 262W serving on the young workers' scheme in Leicestshire, including Rutland; and whether any vacancies exist within the current budget.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThere are an estimated 2,170 young people currently being supported under the young workers scheme in the Leicestershire area. Any application for support under the scheme which satisfies the eligibility conditions will be approved.
§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Employment how much money has been allocated for the youth training scheme in Leicestershire, including Rutland, in the financial year 1983–84; and how much has actually been spent to date.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonArea budgets for the youth training scheme will be introduced in 1984–85. This year budgets have been fixed at national level. Area objectives for 1983–84 are expressed in terms of the planned number of entrants to the scheme.
However actual expenditure can be ascribed to areas: between 1 April and 31 October 1983 some £9 million had been spent on youth training schemes by the commission's Leicester office which covers Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of placements to date in Leicestershire, including Rutland, under the youth training scheme; how many vacancies are currently available; and whether he will permit the vacant places to be offered to any applicant under 19 years of age.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonBy the end of October, some 3,600 young people had joined the youth training scheme in Leicestershire and Rutland. This represents an estimated 67 per cent. of the places available by that date. Unemployed 16 and 17-year-old school leavers are still coming forward and it is too early to judge whether any change in the eligibility rules may be appropriate.
§ Mr. Fisherasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many youth training schemes have been terminated in (a) Stoke-on-Trent, (b) the west midlands and (c) the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 17 November 1983, c. 549]: By the end of October three youth training schemes had closed in the west midlands, none of them in Stoke-on-Trent. Such trainees as were involved have been relocated to other schemes.
Comparable figures for Great Britain as a whole are not yet available.