§ 21. Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of youth unemployment on the economy; and if he will make a statement. [132076]
§ Ruth KellyYouth unemployment is particularly detrimental to the long-term health of the economy.
That is why this Government have made a priority of reducing it. With the help of the New Deal for Young People, we have reduced long-term youth unemployment by 133,000 or three-quarters since 1997.