§ 4. Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to reduce the number of those registered as unemployed for over 52 weeks in the city of Leicester.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkAs the hon. and learned Gentleman knows, the best way we can help the long-term unemployed is by establishing the economic conditions in which industries can become more competitive and start to expand. In the meantime, help is available through the community programme, which has made excellent progress towards the objective of providing up to 130,000 temporary jobs for the long-term unemployed.
§ Mr. JannerDirecting myself to the question, will the Minister tell the House how many people in the city of Leicester, which was once so prosperous, have now been unemployed for more than 12 months? Does he accept that one awful by-product of this increasing and lengthy unemployment is the growth of sweatshop labour, which is a cause for much worry to all of us in the city of Leicester?
§ Mr. ClarkThe hon. and learned Gentleman did not table a precise request for the number of unemployed during that period of time, but I shall ensure that he gets the figure. He should recognise that unemployment in Leicester is below the national average and below the average for the east midlands. Indeed, unfilled vacancies at jobcentres have increased by 37 per cent. in the past year.