§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Employment to what factors he attributes the low percentage of young people of Asian and West Indian origin in Manpower Services Commission mode A schemes.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonA number of different factors have been identified in research undertaken by the University of Bristol's school of advanced urban studies and by the Commission for Racial Equality which may account for a relatively low percentage of Asian and West Indian young people entering mode A of the youth training scheme. In order to ensure that its policy of equal opportunities is fully implemented the Manpower Services108W Commission has drawn upon the recommendations of the University of Bristol and the Commission for Racial Equality.
§ Miss Boothroydasked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his reply of 2 April, Official Report, columns 534–36, if he will publish the sources of the information given in table 2 (Destination of youth opportunity programme and youth training scheme trainees); if he will list as a percentage of the total number of people who have been on youth training schemes or youth opportunity programmes for each of the last five years the numbers of people who found work on completion of training schemes; if he will provide information on a regional basis about post youth training scheme employment rates; if the statistics of post youth training scheme employment are based on the response of ex-trainees; what steps he takes to satisfy himself of the accuracy of the information provided; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 29 April 1985, c. 43–44]: Information on the proportion of trainees finding employment following their youth opportunity programme or youth training scheme was given in table 2 of my earlier reply of 2 April at columns 534–36 The quarterly figures relating to the youth opportunities programme are derived from postal follow-up surveys of trainees, conducted 12 months after they joined the programme. Information on the youth training scheme comes from a regular monthly postal follow-up survey. A questionnaire is sent to 15 per cent, of ex-trainees some three months after they leave the scheme. The current survey has been carefully developed by the Manpower Services Commission through pilot work and is producing a consistent response rate of around 65 per cent. I am confident that the survey is providing the most reliable picture of what is happening to young people in the country as a whole after they leave the youth training scheme. However, I do accept that there will be marked regional variations. Information on a regional basis will be available by the end of May.