To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on careers guidance for young people in (a) Leeds metropolitan district and (b) Leeds West constituency in each year since 2001. (211178)

In April 2001, responsibility for providing careers guidance passed from the Careers Service to the Connexions Service. Connexions provides services to 13 to 19-year-olds and to people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities up to the age of 24. Up until 1 April 2008, Connexions funding for Leeds was allocated to the Connexions West Yorkshire Partnership, which covered Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield LEAs. From 1 April 2008, Connexions funding is being allocated directly to each local authority. The following table shows the amount of central Government funding allocated to the Connexions Service and the Careers Service in Leeds and West Yorkshire since 2001. Information on the amount spent on careers guidance is not collected centrally. However, an independent study undertaken in 2006 concluded that, on average, around 42 per cent. of a Connexions Partnership's expenditure was on information, advice and guidance. The remainder was for targeted support for young people to address specific needs.