HC Deb 23 July 1964 vol 699 cc674-5
19. Mr. Dempsey

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will take steps to provide adequate jobs for young persons who are registering for employment in the Airdrie Youth Employment Office; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. D. Price

My right hon. Friend will continue to encourage suitable industrial development in the area. North Lanarkshire will benefit from the increase in the level of activity throughout the region as a whole, which is the objective of the Government's programme for development and growth in Central Scotland.

Mr. Dempsey

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that his party has had exactly five years to achieve this purpose, and has failed in it, so that today we have too many boys, in particular, chasing too few jobs? Is not this an unbalanced economy when in southern England we have too few boys for too many jobs? Is it not time that the position was reversed, and our boys given a decent opportunity to make progress in their lives?

Mr. Price

I do not think that the hon. Gentleman is quite up to date. At the moment, according to the Airdrie Youth Employment Office there are 70 boys and girls unemployed in the area and there are 73 vacancies. With regard to opportunities, I should have thought that the hon. Gentleman might take pride in the fact that in the first six months of this year 43.3 per cent. of boys in the area entering first employment got apprenticeships, as against the national average of 32.6 per cent. From this it would seem that the opportunities appear to be rather better in Airdrie than they are in the country at large.

Mr. Dempsey

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the office of the Youth Employment Service has just issued a statement indicating that it is faced with a serious problem in finding jobs for male school leavers and that the vacancies to which he refers are suitable for females? What opportunities can be offered to young boys leaving school? Will the Department and the Government do something if not for the hon. Member for the area and for the Opposition then at least for these youths?

Mr. Price

The figures which I have given indicate that there has been considerable progress, and the fact that there is a higher rate of apprenticeship than in the country at large should be a matter for pride.