§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment by how much an employer would have to supplement the minimum youth training allowance to compensate for its loss of value through inflation; and what evidence she has as to the proportion of employers who are paying supplements of these amounts.
§ Mr. McLoughlin[holding answer 8 July 1992] : Supplements of £8.54 and £16.02 per week respectively would be needed to restore in real terms the value of the current YT minimum allowances of £29.50 for 16-yearolds and £35.00 for 17-year-olds and over to the levels when they were last changed.
The level of the YT allowance is a minimum level and employers, providers and training and enterprise councils are free to arrange higher levels.