HC Deb 06 November 1979 vol 973 cc200-1
2. Mr. Dubs

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure for the number of unemployed aged 16 to 20 years in the Greater London area.

The Under-Secretary of State for Employment (Mr. Jim Lester)

At 11 October the number of people aged 19 and under registered as unemployed in the Greater London area was 21,134. I regret that separate figures for 20-year-olds are not available.

Mr. Dubs

Is the Minister aware that the Government's policies will increase the number of unemployed? What does he propose to do about that? Will he take particular note that the problem affects young blacks more than it does their white contemporaries?

Mr. Lester

On the figures just quoted, I am glad to tell the hon. Gentleman that there are now 2,459 fewer unemployed than in October 1978. We share the hon. Gentleman's concern about young blacks. Special schemes in his constituency have doubled in the last 12 months, and the proportion of young blacks on them is higher than the average number of young blacks in the country.

Mr. Chapman

Can my hon. Friend give an indication of the number of vacancies suitable for young people in London? Does he agree that there is a shortage of labour, particularly in craft trades and most of the service industries? Does not that number far exceed the number of unemployed that he mentioned?

Mr. Lester

The number of vacancies for young people is 8,991. If that number is trebled, it equals the number of people registered as unemployed.

Mr. Sheerman

Is the Minister aware that in my constituency in Huddersfield there is a growing number of young women—

Mr. Speaker

Order. There should be a seprate question about Huddersfield. We are dealing with the Greater London area.

Mr. Guy Barnett

I accept the figures given by the hon. Gentleman, but does he realise that there is a serious problem of mismatch, which we do not fully understand, relating to the availability of jobs and the number of unemployed young people? What research is being done by his Department to solve that difficult problem, which affects inner London in particular?

Mr. Lester

I accept that there is a problem of mismatch, not only in London but in Britain as a whole. Clearly, a great deal of research can be done in terms of the Manpower Services Commission and training levels to see how this matter can be dealt with.

Mr. John Grant

Can the hon. Gentleman assure the House that the inner city bias of the previous Government in favour of the mainline programmes of the Department of Employment and the Manpower Services Commission will be fully maintained, bearing in mind that Ministers other than those in the Department of the Environment will be less directly concerned with inner city partnership matters?

Mr. Lester

The Secretary of State for the Environment has already committed us to an inner city policy. I have visited three inner city partnerships in the last three weeks.