Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total budget for youth exchanges between Britain and Europe; and if he will make a statement on the effect on this total of contributing to the Youth for Europe scheme.
§ Mr. Eggar[pursuant to his reply, 18 January 1988, c. 498]: The total amount spent by us on youth exchanges with western Europe for 1986–87 was £387,198. Of this £365,233 was spent on exchanges with our EC partners. The Community's Youth for Europe programme is not yet ready for adoption. It will not be possible to estimate its effect, if any, on the United Kingdom's youth exchange programme until a budget for it has been agreed.
Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people are covered by youth exchange programmes between Britain and Europe; how many schemes there are; how many of these are administered by the British Council; within the total how many places relate to each of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England; and how many places relate to each of(a) the disabled and (b) ethnic minorities.
§ Mr. Eggar[pursuant to his reply, 18 January 1988, c. 498.]: In 1986/87, 12,604 young people were funded by the Government to participate in 692 youth exchanges with our west Europen neighbours. The funding of such schemes was administered by the British Council. Out of this total, 1,100 young people were funded from Scotland, 554 from Northern Ireland, 1,468 from the North of England (ie from the Scottish border to south Yorkshire). A total of 822 disabled young people were also funded from the United Kingdom and Western Europe. Statistics for ethnic minorities are not available for 1986–87. They will be available for 1987–88.