HC Deb 19 November 1985 vol 87 cc109-12W
Ms. Clare Short

asked the Paymaster General how many black and white trainees there were on each youth training scheme in the Birmingham and Solihull area at the latest available date.

Mr. Trippier

The Manpower Services Commission. is urgently considering the extent to which information provided by managing agents and sponsors on the ethnic background of trainees on the youth training scheme can be made available. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as I am in a position to do so.

Ms. Clare Short

asked the Paymaster General if he will provide the best available information on the academic qualifications of (a) black and (b) white trainees on entry to the youth training schemes.

Mr. Trippier

Reliable, comprehensive information is not available. I shall, however, write to the hon. Member with the details of some information we have.

Mr. Skinner

asked the Paymaster General if he has any information that would lead him to revise his estimate of nine deaths on the youth training scheme from 1 April 1983 to 30 June 1985, as given to the hon. Member for Bolsover on 23rd October, Official Report, columns 168–170; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Trippier

No. The nine fatalities referred to in my reply of 23 October included a fatality which occured in Scotland on 26 February this year and which was the subject of a fatal accident inquiry held on 14 November. If the inquiry finds that the death did not arise out of or in connection with a training or work activity, the fatality will not be included in the Manpower Services Commission's future accident figures for the youth training scheme. I will write to the hon. Member when I know the outcome of the inquiry.

Mr. Skinner

asked the Paymaster General if he will list the number of cases in which the families of youth training scheme trainees who died on youth training schemes were sent cheques for £78 by the Manpower Services Commission in lieu of industrial death benefit payments from the Department of Health and Social Security.

Mr. Trippier

Since the youth training scheme was introduced on 1 April 1983, the parents of six young people have been paid the equivalent of industrial death benefit by the Manpower Services Commission. In five cases the maximum payment of £78 was made and in one case a payment of £52 (the maximum for a single parent) was made.

Mr. Skinner

asked the Paymaster General if he will provide the date of death of each youth training scheme trainee since 1 April 1983 and the cause of death in each case.

Mr. Trippier

The following is a list of fatalities on the youth training scheme since 1 April 1983:

Date of Fatality Cause of Fatality
27 June 1983 Road traffic accident
7 September 1983 Accident on residential outdoor activity
12 October 1983 Forklift truck accident
1 February 1984 Tractor accident
27 July 1984 Road traffic accident
22 August 1984 Road traffic accident
24 September 1984 Dumper truck overturned
12 February 1985 Severe burns
26 February 1985 The outcome of a fatal accident inquiry into this death is awaited to establish the exact cause
29 July 1985 Electrocution
20 August 1985 Road traffic accident

Mr. Corbett

asked the Paymaster-General (1) what is, by each Manpower Services Commission area, the size of the budget and the allocation of premium places for youth training scheme mode B for the year from April 1986; and how this compares with the provision for each year since the scheme was introduced;

(2) what is the total Manpower Services Commission budget for 1986–87 for the provision of mode B youth training scheme places; how many places this is expected to provide; and what were the figures for each of the last two financial years.

Mr. Trippier

It is not possible to break down expenditure by area, but the tables show the allocation by area of approved places in mode B1 community projects and training workshops for 1984–85 and 1985–86 Under the two-year youth training scheme from April 1986 the distinction between modes will disappear, but existing mode 131 providers will generally be eligible for the premium rate of funding. The national planning total of approved first-year premium places for 1986–87 is 51,000 (excluding information technology centres). In addition there will be approved second year places, but their number, and the allocations to areas, have yet to be determined. Planned spending on premium places in 1986–87 is also therefore undecided, but in 1983–84, 84,637 places were approved in community projects and training workshops, and expenditure was some £105 milliom; in 1984–85, 65,195 approved places were planned, and some £217 million spent.

1984–85
Area Total Number of Planned Approved Places
Community Projects Training Workshops Total
Glasgow 988 345 1,333
Lanarkshire 578 474 1,052
Renfrew, Dunfermline and Argyll 850 690 1,540
Ayrshire, Dumbarton and Galloway 607 443 1,050
Lothian and Borders 575 270 845
Central and Fife 270 380 650
Grampian and Tayside 364 152 516
Highlands and Islands 194 98 292
Durham 535 940 1,475
Cleveland 894 696 1,590
Newcastle 1,080 390 1,470
South Tyne 1,370 465 1,835

Area Total Number of Planned Approved Places
Community Projects Training Workshops Total
Humberside 745 500 1,245
Leeds 1,060 320 1,380
Bradford 655 495 1,150
Wakefield 930 395 1,325
Sheffield 1,030 310 1,340
Cheshire 1,428 442 1,870
Cumbria 195 95 290
Lancashire 1,075 100 1,175
Manchester Central 1,160 490 1,650
Manchester East 280 210 490
Manchester North 730 330 1,060
Merseyside Inner 1,730 495 2,225
Merseyside Outer 1,307 903 2,210
Birmingham 1,945 335 2,280
Coventry 1,055 663 1,718
Derby 770 230 1,000
Dudley 760 385 1,145
Leicester 1,113 700 1,813
Lincoln 363 202 565
Nottingham 914 598 1,512
Staffordshire 1,132 300 1,432
Telford 842 158 1,000
Wolverhampton 1,600 330 1,930
Gwent 600 105 705
Swansea 830 220 1,050
Cardiff 1,290 605 1,895
Wrexham 635 345 980
Avon 1,000 80 1,080
Gloucester 899 111 1,010
Plymouth 853 202 1,055
Taunton 600 170 770
Chatham 1,075 250 1,325
Chelmsford 550 750 1,300
Fareham 807 285 1,092
High Wycombe 650 40 690
Horsham 880 90 970
Ipswich 938 192 1,130
Luton 470 170 640
Reading 415 115 530
London North East 660 440 1,100
London North 440 250 690
London South East 640 380 1,020
London South West 260 450 710
Total 45,616 19,579 65,195

1985–86
Area Total Number of Planned Approved Places
Community Projects Training Workshops Total
Glasgow 582 465 1.047
Lanarkshire 580 440 1,020
Renfrew, Dunfermline and Argyll 645 620 1,265
Ayrshire, Dumbarton and Galloway 443 472 915
Lothian and Borders 590 275 865
Central and Fife 320 380 700
Grampian and Tayside 335 185 520
Highlands and Islands 194 99 293
Durham 470 900 1,370
Cleveland 777 673 1,450
Newcastle 856 379 1,235
South Tyne 1,185 450 1,635
Humberside 690 530 1,220
Leeds 995 320 1,315

Area Total Number of Planned Approved Places
Community Projects Training Workshops Total
Bradford 630 470 1,100
Wakefield 865 450 1,315
Sheffield 1,005 330 1,335
Cheshire 1,338 482 1,820
Cumbria 170 130 300
Lancashire 1,086 115 1,201
Manchester Central 1,061 539 1,600
Manchester East 310 210 520
Manchester North 730 320 1,050
Merseyside Inner 1,765 444 2,209
Merseyside Outer 1,152 928 2,080
Birmingham 1,870 395 2,265
Coventry 916 554 1,470
Derby 575 320 895
Dudley 645 335 980
Leicester 900 570 1,470
Lincoln 595 595
Nottingham 914 558 1,472
Staffordshire 1,310 190 1,500
Telford 827 173 1,000
Wolverhampton 1,103 330 1,433
Gwent 600 105 705
Swansea 800 220 1,020
Cardiff 1,165 725 1,890
Wrexham 630 305 935
Avon 900 65 965
Gloucester 829 111 940
Plymouth 695 205 900
Taunton 610 165 775
Chatham 915 230 1,145
Chelmsford 370 700 1,070
Fareham 722 339 1,061
High Wycombe 525 80 605
Horsham 579 165 744
Ipswich 922 224 1,146
Luton 466 138 604
Reading 415 120 535
London North East 414 302 716
London North 616 400 1,016
London South East 610 550 1,160
London South West 285 425 710
Total 41,497 19,605 61,102

Mr. Wilson

asked the paymaster-General if he will publish in the Official Report a breakdown of the regional variations which exist of the percentage of youth training scheme places assessed for performance.

Mr. Trippier

[pursuant to his reply, 18 November 1985, c. 38]: The percentage of approved 1984–85 places covered by programmes assessed in each region by the end of July 1985 was as follows:

Region Places assessed per cent.
Scotland 97
Northern 99
North West 97
Yorks and Humberside 97
Midlands 97
Wales 99
South West 92
South East 96
London 95
Great Britain 96

One hundred per cent. coverage is not required because some approved places remain unfilled.