§ Miss Boothroydasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of school leavers have been on youth training or youth opportunity schemes for each of the last five years for which records are available; whether he will break these figures down into the following areas: (a) west midlands, (b) east midlands, (c) Scotland, (d) Northern Ireland, (e) north, (f) north-west, (g) Yorkshire and Humberside, (h) East Anglia, (i) south-east, (j) Wales and (k) south-west; and of these, how many trainees were (i) offered jobs with sponsors, (ii) found work, (iii) registered for employment and (iv) found places on other schemes on completion of their periods of training.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) on what basis he calculates that a second year of youth training will cost £125 million in 1986–87 and £300 million in 1987–88;
38W(2) if his estimate of the costs of a second year of the youth training scheme assumes employers pay (a) 25 per cent., (b) 50 per cent. or (c) 75 per cent. of the cost of training.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonWe have not predicted what the cost of extending the youth training scheme would be. The Government is prepared to put £125 million in 1986–87 and £300 million in 1987–88, in addition to spending on the existing youth training scheme, towards the cost of the new scheme; but we are looking to employers, W ho stand to gain a great deal from this advance in our training arrangements, to pay their fair share as well. The total cost, and the exact contribution required from employers, will depend on the outcome of the consultations which the Manpower Services Commission will be carrying out.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what proposals he has for improved training on the extended youth training scheme;
(2) how the youth training allowance for the second year of the youth training scheme will compare with the present youth training scheme allowance.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonWe have asked the Manpower Services Commission to draw up detailed proposals for the new scheme, including recommendations on training content and the trainee allowance. As under the existing scheme, however, the more that available resources are devoted to training, rather than to the allowance, the greater will be the benefit to young people.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether his proposals for a second year of youth training will be made after consultation with the Trades Union Congress.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonYes. The Manpower Services Commission will consult with the TUC in developing its proposals.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many additional places in the community programme he expects to be created by the end of 1985 and, of these, how many will be allocated to Scotland.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonMy right hon. Friend has written to the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission and has asked him to proceed so that an additional 50,000 places can be filled by December 1985, with extra provision in all areas, but to let him have the commission's views as soon as possible on the best means to distribute available places.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many additional (a) 16-year-olds and (b) 17-year-olds he expects to join the expanded youth training scheme in 1986–87 and 1987–88.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe number of young people entering the expanded youth training scheme will depend on the outcome of the consultations which the Manpower Services Commission will be carrying out. We have, however, estimated that there might be around 200,000 more young people in training at any given time.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment what he estimates to be the saving from the abolition of the young workers' scheme.
39W
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe savings in a full year from the abolition of the young workers' scheme, announced in the Budget statement, were estimated as £25 million.