Clegg: £1bn scheme will 'provide hope' to young jobless
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says a £1bn plan to provide subsidised work and training placements will "provide hope" to thousands of young people.
The three-year youth contract scheme will give employers subsidies worth £2,275 to take on 160,000 18-to 24-year-olds for six months.
Youth unemployment hit 1.02 million in the three months to September.
Labour has questioned how the scheme will be funded, following reports that working tax credits were to be squeezed.
Ben Geoghegan reports.