asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider up rating the allowance for 18-year-olds entering the youth opportunities programme so as to introduce a differential rate at that age and uplift the numbers entering projects.

I am informed by the MSC that it will wish to consider the possibility of introducing a higher allowance for 18-year-olds on YOP than for 16 and 17-year-olds on the programme in conjunction with its consideration of the next general up rating of the YOP allowance.