§ Mr. Michieasked the Secretary of State for Employment what compensation has been awarded to young persons who have died or been injured on youth opportunities programmes in the period April 1980 to March 1983.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe responsibility for insuring trainees rests with scheme sponsors. The Manpower Services Commission is not a party to claim for damages arising out of personal injury and cannot therefore supply any information concerning the number of claims or compensation paid. However, the Manpower Services Commission does make payments of benefit equal to those available to employed persons under the statutory injuries scheme. During the years 1981–82 and 1982–83 payments totalling £154,295 and £169,705 respectively were made by the Commission. I regret figures for the year 1980–81 are not available.
§ Mr. Michieasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many youth opportunities programmes have been closed down as a result of accidents in the period April 1980 to March 1983.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThere are no separate records of those youth opportunities programme schemes closed primarily as a result of accidents. I am arranging for such information to be available in future in respect of schemes under the youth opportunities programme and the youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Michieasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many days have been lost by trainees on youth opportunities programmes as a result of accidents in the period April 1980 to March 1983.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI regret that the number of training days lost due to accidents is not available. However, during the period April 1980 to March 1983, when nearly 1.5 million young people entered the programme, 8,853 accidents involving young persons on the programme were reported to the commission. The great majority of these involved absence from work of three days or less.
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§ Mr. Michieasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many trainees on youth opportunities programmes have died or been seriously injured in the period April 1980 to March 1983.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe information is as follows:
April 1980 March 1981 April 1981 March 1982 April 1982 March 1983 Fatalities 4 6 7 Major injuries reportable under NADOR 1980* 176 271 311 * Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980. Of the seventeen fatalities, ten occurred in an industrial environment, four were as a result of road traffic accidents and two were swimming accidents during lunch breaks.
§ Mr. Nellistasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many schemes under the youth opportunities programme were terminated for health and safety reasons in the period April 1980 to March 1983.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThere are no separate records of those youth opportunities programme schemes closed primarily for health and safety reasons. I am arranging for such information to be available in future in respect of schemes under both the youth opportunities programme and the youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Nellistasked the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he proposes to ensure that the Manpower Services Commission will fulfil its commitment that unemployed trainees will enjoy the same benefits as employees under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, in view of the number of fatal and serious injuries that occurred on the youth opportunities programme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonAt the present time trainees in the youth training scheme receive the protection of section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, which, in practice, gives a similar protection as that for employees under section 2 of that Act. This protection is strengthened by the contractual obligation on providers of training to take all necessary steps to secure the health, safety and welfare of young people participating in their schemes as if they were in employment.
However, in order to remove any possible doubt about employers' obligations in respect of trainees in the scheme, the Health and Safety Executive has recently announced its intention to bring forward proposals for new regulations to extend the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act to ensure that the position of trainees is exactly the same as employees.
§ Mr. Nellistasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people who completed the youth opportunities programme have secured employment since the programme was terminated in March 1983.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonInformation is not available in the form requested. The Manpower Services Commission follows up a national sample of entrants to the youth opportunities programme 12 months after the start of their schemes. The most recent survey results relate to young people who joined the programme between January and March 1982. About 38 per cent. of these young people found employment immediately on leaving their schemes, and 42 per cent. were in employment six months later.