§ 9. Mr. Amessasked the Paymaster General if he will make a statement on his visit to Basildon on Tuesday 6 May.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI visited Basildon at the invitation of my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Amess), and was very glad to have the opportunity to see some of the encouraging employment and training initiatives that are taking place in the area. I visited St. Martin's community care trust, which is a community programme agency, a youth training scheme at GEC Avionics, and Basildon skillcentre. I also addressed Abilities '86, a presentation organised by the Manpower Services Commission to encourage employers in south-east Essex to think positively about employing disabled people.
§ Mr. AmessFollowing the visit of my right hon. and learned Friend to my constituency, for which I thank him, is he aware that unemployment in Basildon fell by 5.8 per cent. over the past year, and fell again this month? Does he agree that that is due to the hard work of local businesses, the success of the development corporation and the Commission for the New Towns, and the success of the various Government-sponsored and funded employment initiatives?
§ Mr. ClarkeI was encouraged by everything that I saw and heard in Basildon. The number of people placed in jobs by our jobcentre went up by 16 per cent. over the past year. There are still a greater number of unfilled vacancies than there were a year ago. It is obvious that everything is well on the way to recovery in Basildon. I am glad to say that employment prospects are continually improving.