HC Deb 22 June 1976 vol 913 cc1343-5
8. Mr. Bulmer

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to improve job prospects for school leavers during 1976.

Mr. Golding

The Government have already taken a large number of measures, including the job creation programme, the recruitment subsidy for school leavers, additional resources for training, Community Industry and the careers service to deal with unemployment among school leavers and other young people. These measures are under review, especially in the light of yesterday's debate on youth unemployment.

Mr. Bulmer

Will the Minister confirm that this country is currently short of certain vital industrial skills and is likely to remain so? Will he consider publishing a list of those skills with a view to allowing employers who took on and trained school leavers to approve standards to recover the cost of that training in full?

Mr. Golding

This question will be discussed in the consultative document, which, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced yesterday, will be published shortly for consultation.

Mr. George Grant

When my hon. Friend reviews job prospects for school leavers, will he ask the Home Secretary why many police authorities have discontinued police cadet training? Would he agree that the money spent on police cadet training is money well spent? It is good training for a good job and is in the best interests of the nation.

Mr. Golding

I will draw this matter to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

Mr. Peter Walker

In view of the high level of unemployment in the West Midlands, particularly among school leavers, why are the Government trying to stop firms from going to the West Midlands?

Mr. Golding

My understanding is that the Government have relaxed the industrial development certificate provisions and that this relaxation has been most helpful in the West Midlands.

Mr. Litterick

Is my hon. Friend in a position to respond to the question which I put to the Secretary of State last night? Will he undertake to set in train discussions between his own Department and the Department of Education and Science, or between the Training Services Agency and the local education authorities, so that TSA resources can be put at the disposal of local education authorities to enable them to provide vocational courses for young people? If this were done, it would also take up the slack in the employment of teachers.

Mr. Golding

Before I came into the Chamber this afternoon I had the pleasure of reading in Hansard my hon. Friend's remarks of last night. I also noted the categorical assurances given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. This is a matter which is being studied.

Mr. David Hunt

Although the Government survived last night's vote, we heard this morning that 122,905 school leavers are unemployed. There are many hon. Members on all sides of the House who are not prepared to sit back and watch young people's hopes and ambitions being frustrated. What are the Government going to do?

Mr. Golding

We dealt with this matter very fully in the debate yesterday. We gave categorical assurances that the Government would deal with the problem as urgently as possible.

Hon. Members

When?

Mr. Hayhoe

Does the Minister accept that today's figures are very alarming? Seasonally-adjusted figures for the number of vacancies notified, which cover young people and others, indicate a very serious trend. Will the Government look at these figures with a greater sense of urgency and a greater sense of concern?

Mr. Golding

There could be no greater concern than that which is felt on this Bench at the figures published this morning. One of the additional problems is the fact that the school leaving date was brought forward and employers have not yet adjusted to this in their recruitment measures.

13. Mr. Peter Morrison

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs are at present available which would be suitable for school leavers.

Mr. Golding

27,719 unfilled vacancies were held by careers offices on 4th June. These include many which would be suitable for school leavers, but it is expected that some employers will not notify vacancies specifically for school leavers until later this summer.

Mr. Morrison

Is the Minister aware that that answer—and, indeed, all the others he has given this afternoon—will give absolutely no hope to the unemployed school leavers? Is he further aware that the best way to help them would be to abandon the Price Code, thus allowing employers to take on school leavers while at the same time seeing a return on their investment?

Mr. Golding

I think that it will be some encouragement—although the situation is still bad—that the number of unfilled vacancies has increased from 24,476 in April to 27,719 in June. The Government believe that a wide range of measures is needed, such as have been pursued in the past 12 months, to deal with this pressing problem.

Mr. Pavitt

Will my right hon. Friend have discussions with the Secretary of State for Social Services as a matter of urgency with a view to looking at the training and employment of school leavers in the professions supplementary to medicine? Is my hon. Friend aware that there is a grave shortage of speech therapists, physiotherapists and many other categories, and that we could do with a full long-term programme in order to fill those vacancies?

Mr. Golding

The Government will certainly look at the point made by my hon. Friend.