HC Deb 20 February 1997 vol 290 c662W
Mr. Barry Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the minimum age requirements enforced by her Department. [15912]

Mr. Robin Squire

The Department for Education and Employment is not in general responsible for enforcing age requirements. However, age requirements do apply to certain education, training and employment measures, including the following: Children must be aged four to be eligible for the nursery voucher scheme.

The majority of places offered under the assisted places scheme begin at age 11. From September 1996, places are now available for the first time for primary age children as young as five. Assisted sixth form places are also available.

Current regulations require pupils to remain at school until one of two dates: for pupils whose birthday falls between 1 September to 31 January, it is the end of the spring term—that is, the Easter holidays—following their 16th birthday; for those whose 16th birthday falls between 1 February to 31 August, it is the Friday before the last Monday in May. The only exception to the above is for those children who have not been registered at a school at any time during the year preceding their 16 birthday. For these children, the upper limit of compulsory school age is their 16 birthday.

For programmes covered by the training and enterprise councils operating agreement, and other associated contractual documentation: young people have to have reached the minimum school leaving age (as above) before they can join youth programmes; people need to be 18 before they are eligible for training for work; pupils are eligible to take part in work experience if they are in the last term of year 10 or year 11; children of school age are eligible to use the child care services provided by the out-of school childcare grant.

To receive income-based jobseeker's allowance, claimants must have reached the age of 18; 16 and 17-year-olds may receive JSA however, if they are in circumstances prescribed in the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 1996—regulations 59, 60 and 61—or if the Secretary of State decides they would suffer severe hardship unless an allowance was paid. In either case, 16 and 17-year-olds must meet the basic requirement conditions for JSA.

The teachers' superannuation regulations impose minimum age requirements in four areas:

  • membership of the scheme—age 18;
  • purchase of added years—age 20;
  • retirement on age grounds—age 60;
  • premature retirement—age 50.