Lords to debate EU youth unemployment and 'a generation scarred'
The House of Lords will tomorrow, 17 June, debate the EU Committee's report on youth unemployment in Europe which found rates of joblessness still at damagingly high levels across the EU.
The report, entitled Youth Unemployment in the EU: a scarred generation?, looked at the effectiveness of EU youth unemployment initiatives, and whether EU funding to address the issue is being used properly in the UK. The Committee found compelling evidence that the Youth Guarantee should be taken up by the Government as soon as possible.
The EU Sub-Committee on the Internal Market, Infrastructure and Employment also recommended that the Government tap into the expertise of local organisations as part of its approach to tackling youth unemployment.
Baroness O'Cathain, who chairs the Sub-Committee that conducted the report's inquiry, will open the debate. Lord Freud will respond for the Government.
Commenting ahead of the debate Baroness O'Cathain said:
“We called our report Youth Unemployment in the EU: a scarred generation? for good reason. The figures on joblessness across Europe are staggering, with nearly twice as many young people out of work now compared to before the 2008 economic crisis.
“In our report we called on the Government to re-think its approach to how it uses EU money to get young people back into work. We believe that a model like that used by many countries in the EU, the Youth Guarantee, would be an improvement on the system currently in place in this country.
“The five areas with the worst unemployment rates in the UK are due to receive extra money from the EU to tackle youth unemployment. We suggested that the extra money should be concentrated solely on these five areas and we urged the Government to use the money to pilot the Youth Guarantee in these areas.
“We are disappointed that the Government did not act upon our recommendations on this issue.
“I look forward to a lively debate on the issue on Tuesday and I hope it highlights to a wider audience the need for the UK to take this matter seriously.”
Other Members due to speak in the debate include:
- Lord Freud (Minister)
