§ 12. Mr. George Rodgersasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will describe the extent of the special measures taken to provide job opportunities for young persons in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. ConcannonThe recruitment subsidy for school leavers and the youth employment subsidy have been applied in Northern Ireland as in the rest of the United Kingdom. In addition, employment for young persons is provided through the Enterprise Ulster and Young-help schemes. The effect of these measures has been to create almost 1,700 openings for young persons.
§ Mr. RodgersDoes my hon. Friend agree that many young people are loose on the streets in Northern Ireland and are often involved in ugly situations because of the lack of job opportunities? Will he co-operate with the Department of Employment to ensure that measures such as the work swap scheme and the work experience scheme are introduced into Northern Ireland as soon as possible?
§ Mr. ConcannonWe already have special schemes in Northern Ireland, and we have had them for some time. We are, therefore, a bit in front. In the last package, £95,000 was spent on young people in Northern Ireland. I shall be looking at the job release scheme and examining other special schemes to see whether we can give more money to them.