asked the Minister for Labour if the Youth Employment Agency has made the following recommendations (a) that a travel allowance be introduced for work experience participants (b) a higher premium of £60 apply, under the employment incentive scheme, to persons under 25 who are on the live register for over one year and (c) that the level of the Teamwork scheme be maintained at just over 2,000 places; if he intends to implement these recommendations particularly in light of reducing training allowances as recommended; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Youth Training Schemes.
169.
The recommendations referred to by the Deputy were made by the Youth Employment Agency in the context of their Medium Term Outlook and Plan for Youth Employment Policies 1986-1991 published in November 1986.
Re (a), as recruitment to the Work Experience Programme has been suspended, implementation of this recommendation does not arise.
Re (b), the employment incentive scheme allowance of £60 a week was specially targeted towards long term unemployed persons over 25 years of age who represent 80% of that category. I have no proposals to extend this level of allowance to persons under 25. The funding of such an increase could only be achieved through restricting overall numbers entering the scheme resulting in a decrease of opportunities generally available to unemployed persons.
Re (c), it is proposed to accommodate some 2,278 persons on Teamwork during 1988.