Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Monday, 29 January 2007.

Unemployment: 16 to 24 Year-olds

Question: My Lords, is the Minister aware that the number of available jobs for people without qualifications is rapidly falling? Many of the young people in the NEET group have no qualifications because they have special educational needs which have not been addressed. What are the Government doing for these young people to ensure that their special educational needs are met and they are able to gain some qualifications and obtain a lasting job?

Answer: My Lords, the Government agree with the noble Baroness that it is important that people have good qualifications to be able to get into sustainable employment. As the record shows, GCSE attainment has steadily improved since 1997, although there is clearly more to do. Between 1997 and 2005, the Government increased investment in FE by about 48 per cent in real terms, and funding for the participation of full-time-equivalent students increased by 49 per cent in cash terms and 23 per cent in real terms. That is what the Government are doing to address those issues. But there are still some challenging issues, particularly for the 16 and 17 year-old cohort.

Secondary information