§ Mr. Nellistasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will now take steps to collect information on the numbers of 16 and 17-year-olds in Northern Ireland who are (a) in employment and (b) on Government training schemes.
§ Mr. ButlerWe have no plans to collect information on the numbers of 16 and 17-year-olds in Northern Ireland who are in employment. This would result in a substantial increase in the form-filling burden on employers which this Government have striven to reduce.
Information is already collected on the number of young people who are in Government training schemes but because the figures are collected manually it would be extremely time-consuming and expensive to break the numbers down by age group. The information could be readily produced on a computerised system and this is being considered in the context of the Department's overall computer needs and priorities.