§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment if it remains his policy to provide £1 billion per annum for youth training schemes; and whether the scheme will now include all 16 and 17-year-olds who are not in full-time education.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonPublic financial resources continue to be made available for the youth training scheme on the basis of the number of places required to meet the needs of all eligible young people.
At present every 16-year-old school leaver is eligible to join the scheme as are 17-year-old leavers who have been unemployed for six weeks and disabled leavers up to the age of 21.
The Government will consider questions of eligibility and resources for the youth training scheme in 1985–86 once they have received the recommendations of the Manpower Services Commission, which are expected shortly.