HC Deb 28 November 1994 vol 250 cc515-6W
Mr. McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the numbers of young people who were registered for youth training, broken down both regionally and nationally and by gender, who are(a) currently without offer of a place, (b) ineligible for income support or (c) receiving special hardship allowance in each year since 1979.

Mr. Paice

The information requested is not available. However, the number of young people covered by the youth training guarantee who have been registered with careers services in England for eight or more weeks is provided in the following table:

Region1 October 19932 October 19943
South East 670 48
London 491 171
Eastern 538 113
South West 208 130
West Midlands 183 65
East Midlands 290 56

Region1 October 19932 October 19943
Yorkshire and Humberside 146 174
Merseyside 271 27
North West 337 114
North East 198 162
England 3,332 1,060
Notes:
1 Employment Department training, enterprise and education directorate regions.
2 14 October 1993.
3 31 October 1994.

All claims for income support from 16 and 17-year-olds are automatically considered under the severe hardship provision unless entitlement under the normal provisions already exist. So far this year, around 86 per cent. of claims under severe hardship have been successful.