asked the Minister for Labour if he will give a breakdown of how the 1 per cent employment levy has been utilised with particular reference to the years 1983, 1984 and 1985; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment Levy.
11.
The youth employment levy is used to fund expenditure on employment, training, work experience and job creation programmes for young people.
A breakdown of levy expenditure by programme in the years 1983, 1984 and 1985 is circulated in the Official Report.
These levy allocations allowed for a total participation of 58,700, 63,800 and 66,000 on youth employment and training programmes in the years in question.
Breakdown by programme of youth employment levy expenditure in the years 1983, 1984 and 1985.
|
Programme |
Expenditure |
||
|
1983 |
1984 |
1985 |
|
|
£m |
£m |
£m |
|
|
Youth Employment Agency |
5.685 |
6.115 (1)(2) |
5.322 |
|
AnCO |
32.244 |
38.284 |
40.493 |
|
CERT |
1.426 |
1.683 |
2.020 |
|
Department of Labour |
|||
|
—Work Experience Programme |
6.971 |
5.583 |
6.616 |
|
—Enterprise Allowance Scheme (Youth Employment) |
— |
0.391 (1) |
2.230 |
|
—Teamwork (formerly the Grant Scheme for Youth Employment) |
2.165 |
5.542 (2) |
8.468 |
|
—Employment Incentive Scheme |
4.309 |
— |
— |
|
—National Manpower Service |
— |
0.024 |
0.084 |
|
Department of the Environment |
|||
|
—Environmental Works Scheme |
8.00 |
4.00 |
2.25 |
|
Department of Education |
|||
|
—Vocational Preparation and Training Programme |
14.990 |
25.550 |
28.00 |
|
Total |
75.790 |
87.172 |
95.483 |
(1) £0.5m paid from the Youth Employment Agency provision towards Enterprise Allowance Scheme.
(2) £0.615m paid from the Youth Employment Agency provision towards Teamwork.
From the analysis which was undertaken in the Minister's Department how many real sustainable jobs have been created under the employment levy?
The review is not yet complete. The figure in terms of real sustainable jobs is not available to me at this time. When it becomes available to me I will make it available to the Deputy.
Is there widespread concern in the Minister's Department about the preliminary review which has been carried out? The youth employment levy as it was sold to the trade unions a number of years ago has been a massive failure. The money generated to create jobs has been used for training and retraining and short-term employment programmes. The fact is little or no employment has been gained from the youth employment levy.
When the figures emerge after the analysis, they may be somewhat different from the Deputy's perception. The final figures have not yet emerged and I hope when they do they will be a source of consolation to everybody.
Will the Minister confirm that in the new legislation on manpower the youth element has been dropped? It is now going to be called the employment levy so that the money can be spent on the over 25s. The analysis which has been undertaken shows that very few of our youth have received sustainable jobs from the scheme.
The reason for the change is that the bulge in the population of young people is moving upwards beyond the 25 year age limit. It will allow greater flexibility for the new manpower authority to allocate funds for young people who do not stand still either in terms of age.
Will the Minister——
This is the final question.
Will the Minister put on the record of the House the terms of the levy? What conditions will apply and which will have to be followed before people can spend money which is obtained from the levy?
The conditions of expenditure under the levy are available and I will have them forwarded to the Deputy. This question refers to the breakdown of how it was spent in 1983, 1984, 1985. I will have the conditions of expenditure under the levy forwarded to the Deputy.