Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of young people aged (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 were not in full-time education or training in (i) Bury St Edmunds constituency, (ii) Suffolk, (iii) the East of England and (d) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

The Statistical First Release (SFR) ‘Participation in education, training and employment, age 16 to 18' published on 13 March 2014 shows estimates of both the numbers and proportions of 16- and 17-year-olds not in full-time education or in work-based learning (almost exclusively apprenticeships). As well as those not participating in any education or training, the numbers include young people who were in part-time education and/or those undergoing training with a privately-funded training provider. Estimates are not available at sub-national level for 18-year-olds.

The SFR shows estimates for Suffolk Local Authority, the East of England, and England. The data is not available at parliamentary constituency level nor does an estimate exist that includes Wales.

The SFR is published online and is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/participation-in-education-training-and-employment-by-16-to-18-year-olds-in-england-end-2012