But moves by a Yorkshire NHS trust to buy a training yacht for £500,000 have sailed straight into a storm.

Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) says it is looking to spend the one-off surplus on the boat, which will be used by a new organisation called Wilberforce Sailing Academy, as part of its training programme.

The PCT says the vessel – of the type used in the round-the-world Clipper yacht race – will help teenagers aged 17 to 19 make "lifestyle choices" and help improve their health in the long run.

But the leader of the Labour group in Hull has questioned the use of taxpayers' money on a boat that will cost an eye-watering £400,000 a year to run.

Briefing documents seen by the Yorkshire Post show that One Hull, a body involving public, private, voluntary and community sectors, has approved funding of £1.345m between now and March 2011 to cover the boat's running costs. It aims to "remove 150 workless people each year from the unemployment register and engage them in training".

Labour group leader Coun Steve Brady said: "What I am absolutely concerned about is the misuse of public money.

"This is to draw down the numbers of youths not in education, employment or training. My question is, what message is this giving to hard-working young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who will in my opinion be discouraged by such frivolous actions.

"I believe this sort of money from One Hull could have funded long term apprenticeships to give real skills to young people in Hull. This is just a grand scheme by people who think they can do what they like with public money."

Another councillor, who did not want to be named, said: "It's crazy. A lot of people who are waiting for medical treatments in the next couple of months will look at the fact that they have bought a boat and think they could have been seen quicker."

The Unite union's regional officer Terry Cunliffe, said: "That money could have been invested in other elements of health provision within the trust. It's not there for donations to charitable and social events, it's for dealing with people's health problems."

The scheme grew out of the success of the Hull and Humber yacht with 10 disadvantaged young people who were taken on last year's Clipper round the world yacht race. All 10 are said to have since gone into employment or higher education.

The chairman of Hull Teaching PCT and former Labour councillor Kath Lavery – who is also the vice chairman of One Hull – said the scheme was all about trying to close the inequality gap which meant people in Hull had far worse life expectancy than in other parts of the country.

She said: "It's a massive programme of intervention in young people's lifestyles and choices. It's not an adventure for kids on young offenders' lists.

"It's about showing young people in Hull there's something good in life and they can make lifestyle choices which hopefully means they will go into higher education."

Final decisions on using the cash will be made by One Hull's executive group in November.