§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many places will be made available under the youth training scheme in South Yorkshire and the Barnsley travel-to-work area in the current year; and at what cost.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonIt is planned that about 13,000 places will be approved under the youth training scheme in south Yorkshire in the financial year 1984–85. Information is not available for the Barnsley travel-to-work area. However, it is planned that about 2,000 places will be approved in the Barnsley local authority district in the same period. It is not possible to give the exact cost of these youth training scheme places in 1984–85 which will depend on a number of factors, including the rate at which young people actually join the scheme.
§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will estimate the total cost of the 464W youth training scheme in 1983–84 showing separately (a) the direct costs of grants and fees to managing agents and other providers including the training allowance, (b) the cost of the Manpower Services Commission headquarters staff attributable to the youth training scheme, (c) all other Manpower Services Commission costs attributable to the youth training scheme, (d) the cost of outside research and consultancy attributed to the youth training scheme and (e) all other costs attributed to the youth training scheme;
(2) what is the current planned budget for the youth training scheme in 1984–85, showing separately the budgets for mode A, mode BI and separated into training workshops, information technology centres, community projects, take-up of the youth training scheme places and the changed plans for the places required in 1984–85.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment what contributions towards the cost of the youth training scheme are being sought from (a) the European social fund and (b) other non-United Kingdom Government sources for 1984–85; and what allowance is being made for those amounts in preparing his public expenditure plans.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonMy Department, in conjunction with the Manpower Services Commission, is currently preparing an application for assistance from the European social fund in respect of the youth training scheme for the period from April 1984 to December 1984. The financial details of the application are still being worked out and it is not possible to quote an exact figure at this stage. No funds are being sought for the Scheme from other non-United Kingdom Government sources. The fact that the United Kingdom expects to receive considerable support in respect of the scheme is taken into account in forward planning, as noted in the Public Expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 9143). However, precise estimates are not made because the social fund receipts cannot be predicted at the time when the public expenditure forecast is made.