§ 10. Mr. Gristasked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has of the number of school leavers for 1978 who will be entering the labour market in (a) Wales and (b) the county of South Glamorgan.
§ Mr. John MorrisEstimates based on the results of last year's 10 per cent. sample survey of Welsh school leavers suggest that the figures will be of the order of 34,000 for Wales and 5,000 for South Glamorgan.
§ Mr. GristDoes the Secretary of State appreciate that in South Glamorgan there is a desperate shortage of jobs in the manufacturing sectors for youngsters leaving school? Does he not agree that the best way to create new jobs for them is to encourage private industry to make more and bigger profits, and for private individuals to be able to keep more post-tax income in order to create incentives?
§ Mr. MorrisWe are giving every encouragement to private industry. We are giving every encouragement to small business, through the efforts of the Welsh Development Agency and others. We are also—I hope that the hon. Gentleman will welcome this—embarking on a major programme of advance factory building in his area.
§ Mr. Geraint HowellsI am sure that the Secretary of State for Wales is aware of the high unemployment figure in my constituency, especially in Cardigan, Llandyssul and Lampeter. What plans has he in mind to help the school leavers who will be leaving school at the end of this term?
§ Mr. MorrisIn the Manpower Services Commission there are three area boards which will be considering the needs of school leavers who will not have found jobs in the ordinary course of events. Those area boards will be setting up their training programmes. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman is aware of the number of advance factories that I have announced in his constituency and the success that the Development Board for Rural Wales has had in recent weeks and months in letting factories right across the board in Mid-Wales.