§ 5. Mr. Steeleasked the Minister of Labour what was the ratio of boys under 18 years of age registered as wholly unemployed to the number of unfilled notified vacancies in the County of Dunbarton at the latest available date.
§ The Minister of Labour (Mr. Edward Heath)There were 96 wholly unemployed boys in the County of Dunbarton on 11th April and 38 unfilled notified vacancies.
§ Mr. SteeleWould the Minister agree that this is one of the places referred to by the Parliamentary Secretary and that these figures indicate a grave situation and are indicative of what is happening in Scotland as a whole? Does he agree that special measures are necessary in Scotland, and will he undertake to consult his Ministerial colleagues with a view to taking special action?
§ Mr. HeathThe special action is being taken by the Government under the Local Employment Act and Dunbarton itself is a development district. In addi- 184 tion, there is the new town of Cumbernauld, in which it is expected that 4,000 places of employment will become available. The development corporation is also building an advance factory. It is, therefore, apparent that action is being taken because the urgency of the problem is realised. The problem is not so much one of school leavers, because they are being placed in work fairly satisfactorily, but of younger people who later lose jobs for a variety of reasons and are then difficult to place.