§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is monitoring the impact of the YTS guarantee on 16 and 17-year-olds.
§ Mr. LangI am satisfied that the Training Agency in Scotland has more than sufficient YTS places available for those young people under 18 who want one.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the number of summer school leavers eligible for YTS as a result of failing to obtain employment or a place in full-time education.
§ Mr. LangWe estimate that up to 50,000 16 to 17-year-olds might leave school this summer. All are eligible for YTS, but only a proportion will seek a place. The Training Agency has consulted the careers service and is satisfied that it has sufficient places to meet likely demand, but further places can be provided if required.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give(a) the number of YTS places available and (b) occupied for each of the former administration areas of the Training Agency, known as area manpower boards.
§ Mr. LangThis information is not available in the precise form requested. As at 31 May 1989 the Training Agency had 61,115 agreed YTS places in Scotland and 47,345 of these were filled. This information is broken down by Training Agency area office area as follows:
Agreed places In training Glasgow city 9,844 8,434 Lanarkshire 6,306 5,325 Renfrew, Dunbarton and Argyll 8,249 6,260 Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway 6,969 5,498 Lothian and Borders 7,655 5,424 Central and Fife 9,287 6,831 Grampian and Tayside 9,397 7,220 Highlands and Islands 3,408 2,353
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the YTS guarantee will be met for every 16 and 17-year-old summer school leaver in Scotland who does not enter full-time education or permanent employment.
§ Mr. LangWe aim to ensure that every young person under 18 who is seeking a YTS place is offered one before his or her entitlement to benefit ends.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the YTS guarantee is being met; and how monitoring of this procedure is being undertaken.
§ Mr. LangYes the guarantee is being met. Local arrangements with the careers service ensure that Training Agency area offices are aware of and can satisfy demand for YTS places.
56W
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the number of 16 and 17-year-olds in Scotland who did not obtain a YTS place before the expiry of the period of extended child benefit or bridging allowance between September 1988 and the most recent date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. LangThe guarantee of a YTS place to all 16 and 17-year-olds that want one means that there is no need for any young person who applies for a YTS place in reasonble time to be without financial support. Information about young people who are not on benefit or on YTS is not collected centrally. I cannot therefore offer an estimate of their numbers.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has met the regional and islands council careers officers to discuss the implementation of the YTS guarantee.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythMy officials regularly meet representatives of Scottish careers services to discuss this and other matters.