HC Deb 15 July 1977 vol 935 cc992-3

The Government announced last month a programme of training and work experience courses for young people, at a cost building up to £160 million a year, and a special temporary employment programme providing jobs for adults, at a cost of £68 million a year.

The Government have now also decided to approve up to a further £100 million for construction in the current financial year, so as to assist employment in the construction industry, which is now going through a particularly difficult time. This, of course, is in addition to the £100 million for inner cities which I announced in the Budget. The Government are considering in the course of the normal annual review of public expenditure what further help can be given to the construction industry in the next financial year.

The Government have also reviewed the requirements for additional expenditure in support of the industrial strategy. As a result, a further cash sum of £70 million will be provided, to be drawn down over the next few years, for schemes in the ferrous foundry and machine tools industries and for a new product and process development scheme.

The total cost of all the measures that I have just announced is £1 ¼billion in the current financial year, rising to £1½ billion in the next year. The resulting stimulus to demand in the economy will in itself generate substantial additional employment.