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Youth Training Schemes

Volume 83: debated on Monday 22 July 1985

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asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the extra funds which he promised to make available for encouraging extended periods of training to school leavers under the youth training scheme will be used to promote further schemes in the west midlands region.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment on what criteria the Manpower Services Commission judge training centres and facilities and training officers provided by companies and organisations as being suitable for running youth training schemes; and if he will list the number of companies and organisations which the Manpower Services Commission have adjudged as inadequate for meeting the requirements of running these programmes.

All organisations intending to operate youth training scheme programmes are required to submit detailed proposals to the Manpower Services Commission showing how they will meet the requirements of the scheme. These proposals are then considered for approval by the Manpower Services Commission and the area manpower boards. Information on the number of schemes not approved is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment on what factors he based the sum of £1 billion as being a suitable figure for providing resources to extend the youth training scheme frorn one to two years; and what proportion of that figure he expects to be made up from receipts from the European Social Fund and from nonpayment of unemployment benefit.

In addition to the £800 million a year which it is spending on the present scheme, the Government is making an extra £300 million gross available for the two-year youth training scheme in 1987–88. Savings on benefit payments from the introduction of the new scheme are estimated at £130 million for that year. Receipts from the European Social Fund vary and cannot be predicted accurately.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his most recent estimate of the proportion of B 1 places on' youth training schemes taken up in 1984–85; and what target figure the Government proposes for similar courses in 1985–86.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 July 1985, c. 297]: It is estimated that at the end of the 1984–85 year, in March 1985, over 70 per cent. of approved mode B1 places were occupied nationally and we expect a similar level to be reached in 1985–86.