§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will specify what formal procedures for making complaints and representations, specifying where appropriate under which sections of which Acts, are available locally and nationally to children and young people under 18 years of age who wish to make complaints about matters which are the responsibility of his Department.
Mr. JacksonUnder the legislation and programmes for which my Department is responsible any formal procedures for making complaints and representations which exist are open on the same basis to those under 18 as to those over 18.
In the case of those programmes aimed mainly at those under 18: Youth Training (YT); a contractual requirement is placed on YT providers to ensure that non-employed trainees have access to clear written grievance procedures, including the right to make representations to the 282W Department or to the careers service. Where training and enterprise councils (TECs) have been established contractual requirement is placed upon TECs to ensure that YT providers make similar arrangements for non-employed trainees, including the right to make representations to the TEC or to the careers service.
Careers Service and the Department's Vocational Education Programmes such as TVEI: local education authorities operate these programmes in their area. I would expect issues about provision in a particular area to be raised with the relevant authority in the first instance. No formal procedures exist for making representations to my Department in these cases, although we will naturally consider any representations that are made to us, whether by those under or over 18.