§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people aged 16 and 17 years who left school in Bradford in the summer have been told they are ineligible to claim unemployment benefit as from 12 September.
§ Mr. CopeNone. Unemployment benefit is a contributory benefit, entitlement to which was not affected by the changes which came into effect on 12 September.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people, aged 16 and 17 years, left Bradford schools in the summer; what written and other information they were given about the YTS and obtaining employment; and what information was distributed through schools to parents about YTS employment opportunities and the need for parents to apply for extension of payment of child benefit to the end of December.
§ Mr. CopeLocal education authorities have a statutory duty to provide information, advice and guidance to young people in and leaving schools and colleges to help them find employment and training. Detailed local arrangements to fulfil this duty, and to collect information about client numbers, are matters for the appropriate local education authority. Information on the arrangements is not available centrally.
Information on the extension of child benefit for 16 and 17-year-old school leavers and the need for parents to apply for extended payment was sent direct to parents by the child benefit centre at Washington. The child benefit centre wrote to over 300,000 parents whose children were assumed to be leaving school in the summer.