§ 2. Mr. Nellistasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has considered the report of the Commission for Racial Equality on "Racial Equality and the Youth Training Scheme"; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonYes. I understand that the Manpower Services Commission is drawing upon the recommendations made in the report to develop a package of measures aimed at ensuring that its policy of equal opportunities is fully implemented.
§ 15. Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Employment when he will next meet the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission to discuss the youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonMy right hon. Friend and I frequently discuss the youth training scheme with the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission, and I plan to do so next on 11 March.
§ 20. Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with the training opportunities provided for young women on the youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonYes. The full range of training opportunities within the youth training scheme is open equally to young women and young men.
§ 24. Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the current numbers of vacant places on the youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI regret the information is not available in the precise form requested. However, at the end of January, some 382,000 youth training scheme places had been approved in the current financial year, while there were around 293,000 young people in training. It is not possible to give a precise figure of vacant places mainly because not all approved places will actually be available for occupation.
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§ 37. Mr. Madelasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will identify those areas of the country where there are more offers of training places than there are youth training scheme trainees coming forward to fill them; if he is satisfied with the publicity given to the youth training scheme in those areas; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe Manpower Services Commission must provide enough youth training scheme places to cater for eligible young people and to meet the Government's undertaking to unemployed minimum age school leavers of an offer of a suitable place on the scheme by Christmas. Inevitably this means that in all areas a number of training places will exist that are not filled.
I am satisfied with the publicity given to the youth training scheme which has helped to attract more than 360,000 entrants to the scheme between April 1984 and January 1985 and over 370,000 entrants during the previous financial year.
§ 41. Sir William van Straubenzeeasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with the take-up of places on the youth training scheme in Berkshire.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonYes. By the end of January more than 3,000 young people had entered the youth training scheme in Berkshire. I am pleased to say that our undertaking to all unemployed minimum age school leavers of an offer of a place on the scheme by Christmas was once again effectively met in the county in 1984.
§ 73. Mr. Barronasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the availability of statistics on accidents on the youth training scheme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI will continue to make statistics on accidents to trainees on the youth training scheme available to this House. Statistics are also made available to area manpower boards. Accident statistics for the youth training scheme are normally prepared by the Manpower Services Commission on a quarterly basis for each of the 55 training division administrative areas and they are classified into fatalities, major injuries (as defined in the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980) and minor injuries. The Manpower Services Commission's figures will include a number of accidents, in particular road traffic accidents during scheme time and accidents to trainees in educational establishments, which may not have been reportable to the Health and Safety Executive had the individuals been employed in the normal way.
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Period Average numbers in training Accidents* Quarterly incidence rate per 100,000 trainees† Fatalities Major injuries‡ Fatalities Major injuries 1 April to 30 June 83 20,169 1 1 5.0 5.0 1 July to 30 September 83 122,344 1 8 0.8 6.5 1 October to 31 December 83 253,203 1 44 0.4 17.4 1 January to 31 March 84 250,119 1 47 0.4 18.8 1 April to 30 June 84 241,966 0 38 0.0 15.7 1 July to 30 September 84 295,226 3 50 1.0 16.9 1 October to 31 December 84 309,918 0 55 0.0 17.7 * The Manpower Services Commission's accident figures for the youth training scheme are compiled on a similar basis to those prepared by the Health and Safety Executive on employed persons. However, the Commission's figures will include a number of accidents, in particular road traffic accidents during scheme time and accidents to trainees in educational establishments, which may not have been reportable to the Health and Safety Executive had the individuals been employed (3 of the fatal accidents would not have been reportable). Accident incidence rates for the youth training scheme
§ 78. Mr. Lofthouseasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the proportion of youth training scheme leavers who have got jobs.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonInformation is now available from the first of a series of regular monthly surveys of young people who leave the youth training scheme. This was carried out during December 1984 and January 1985 and covered a national sample of 15 per cent. of young people who left the scheme in June 1984. The results show that 56 per cent. of those young people responding were in jobs at the time of the survey. A further 2 per cent. were on a full-time education or training course and 4 per cent. were on another youth training scheme.
Mr. John Mark Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the youth training scheme in the west midlands.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe youth training scheme has proved very successful in the second year in the west midlands, with school leavers clearly recognising the advantages and opportunities which a high quality training scheme can offer. I am further encouraged both by the higher number of entrants to schemes so far this year and the wider range of places being made available in the area.
Mr. Mark Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to resolve the problems created by wages councils instructing certain employers to pay their young workers higher wages than the maximum level laid down by his Department for purposes of youth training scheme grant.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyMost employers affected by wages council decisions are able to take part in the young workers scheme, although, regrettably, some cannot. We are bearing this problem in mind in our continuing scrutiny of the operation and effects of the wages councils system.
§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish for each available quarter since the inception of the youth training scheme the incidence rate of major and fatal accidents to trainees.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 25 February 1985, c. 18–19]: The following table sets out the quarterly incidence rates per 100,000 trainees on the youth training scheme, separately for major and fatal accidents, for the periods requested, calculated on the basis of the average number of trainees in training.
459Wwill therefore overstate the true position in comparison with figures for the employed populations generally.
† The quarterly incidence rates quoted in the table should be interpreted with caution because they may not be as meaningful as annual rates.
‡ Major injuries are classified according to severity criteria laid down in the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980.