§ Mr. Matesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce the present membership of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England and Wales.
§ Mr. BrittanMr. Speaker is chairman of both commissions. The other members, whose appointments will expire on 31 December 1984, are as follows:
backgrounds according to the latest available figures; and whether he is satisfied that each ethnic group is adequately represented.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonWithin the area covered by the Leeds area office of the Manpower Services Commission between April and October 1983 the breakdown of entrants to the youth training scheme by ethnic origin is as follows:
Numbers White/European 4,601 African/West Indian 127 Asian 45 Others 12 The youth training scheme is open equally to all eligible young people regardless of race or ethnic origin, and I am satisfied that there are adequate opportunities for young people from each ethnic group to participate in the scheme.
§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for Employment, from the introduction of the Manpower Services Commission to the setting up of youth training schemes, how much public money has been given to private sector companies to assist them in setting up such programmes.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe information is not available in the form requested.
§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether there is a correlation between the level of unemployment and the take-up of youth training scheme places; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe youth training scheme has not been in operation sufficiently long to establish what correlation exists between the level of unemployment and the number of young people entering the scheme. However, because the majority of people entering the scheme will have been previously unemployed, it is to be expected that at lower levels of unemployment in the economy there will be fewer entrants.
§ Mr. Nellistasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the amount budgeted by his Department for the youth opportunities programme for each year since its inception, the current budget for the youth training scheme and for those years ahead where projections are available; if he will show for each case the proportion spent on training allowances and on training costs; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 24 November 1983, c. 270]: Information is not available in the precise form requested. However, expenditure on the youth opportunities programme between 1978–79 and 1982–83 and planned expenditure on the youth training scheme is set out in the following table. The figures for 1984–85 and 1985–86 are subject to revision.
Expenditure on YOP £ millions Year YOP grants to sponsors and allowances 1978–79 56.9 1979–80 113.5 1980–81 198.9 1981–82 373.2 1982–83 512.7
Planned Expenditure on Youth Training Scheme 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 *852.3 1,049.0 1,084.6 *Includes carry-over expenditure on YOP, and other residual expenditure on programmes for young people, but excludes MSC administration costs.
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many trade unions have refused to cooperate with the Manpower Services Commission on the youth training scheme; and what is the estimated loss of jobs for young persons due to this action since the inception of the scheme.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 25 November 1983, c. 339]: In general the youth training scheme has been well supported by trade unions, but a few unions at national or local level are still opposing the scheme. It is not, however, possible at a reasonable cost to provide comprehensive figures for the number of training places for young people lost as a result.
§ Mr. Nellistasked the Secretary of State for Employment what information is collected about Manpower Services Commission officers' visits to youth training scheme workplaces.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 28 November 1983]: Reports on monitoring activities will be made to the youth training hoard and local area boards.