Unemployment (Hansard, 2 May 1996)

§ 3. Mr. Spring
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes have taken place in youth and long-term unemployment in the past 12 months. [26377]

§ 10. Mr. Simon Coombs
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the percentage change in the level of unemployment in the Province in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [26384]

§ The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Sir Patrick Mayhew)
Over the year to March 1996, youth unemployment in Northern Ireland fell by 6.1 per cent. and long-term unemployment by 9.1 per cent. The headline unemployment total fell by 5.1 per cent., or 4, 580.

§ Mr. Spring
Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that the prospects for enduring social stability in Northern Ireland are enhanced by that welcome news? Given the historically high levels of long-term unemployment in the Province, does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that the clear fall in long-term unemployment is welcome, especially as it is nearly twice the overall rate of decline?

§ Sir Patrick Mayhew
My hon. Friend is right. Long-term unemployment has fallen by 9.1 per cent. compared with 5.1 per cent. for unemployment overall. We continue to work extensively in the area and are pleased that we are reskilling and retraining that group of people to be competitive in gaining the jobs that we are attracting to the Province.

§ Mr. Coombs
Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that a significant contribution to the improvement in the unemployment figures which he has just announced comes from tourism in Northern Ireland, which has received a tremendous boost from the more peaceful times of the past two years? Can he think of anything more important to continued prosperity and job creation in Northern Ireland than that visitors should feel secure in coming there? Can there be anything more important than an immediate resumption of the ceasefire?

§ Sir Patrick Mayhew
My hon. Friend is absolutely right and I endorse everything that he has said. The total number of out-of-country visitors for 1995, reaching 1, 557, 000, constitute a 20 per cent. increase on the number in 1994. The boost to employment that that gives works in exactly the way that my hon. Friend describes. There has never been any excuse for violence and the return to the ceasefire of August 1994, and an improvement on it, is urgently required.

§ Mr. A. Cecil Walker
I am sure that the Minister is aware of the consternation surrounding the reduction in jobs in the action for community employment projects throughout the Province. In that connection, will he consider the problems of released prisoners and set up some form of job training agency under the auspices of the Training and Employment Agency?

§ Sir Patrick Mayhew
I know my hon. Friend's concern with the unemployment problems in his constituency. He will be glad that, over the year, there has been a reduction of 8.9 per cent. in his constituency. It is important that prisoners should be helped to be reintroduced into self-supporting and lawful life outside prison, and I take note of what my hon. Friend says.

§ Mr. Robert McCartney
Will the Secretary of State explain why, if there is to be support for youths in long-term unemployment, £12 million has been taken from the ACE budget? Is it to be restored?

§ Sir Patrick Mayhew
We must consider the best and most effective way in which our public expenditure can be deployed. The first and foremost avenue for that should be to encourage private sector investment, which has been so successful in the past year or so. The hon. and learned Gentleman will know that the ACE programme has been reduced—I did not enjoy doing that, but we did it for that purpose. The community work programme comprises three pilot schemes that provide improved conditions and a more attractive scheme in comparison with ACE. We are looking forward to seeing the results of their evaluation.

§ Rev. William McCrea
Bearing in mind the fact that the largest employer in the Province is agriculture and the crisis that it faces, what hope can the Secretary of State give to young farmers and young people hoping to come into the family farm? Does the Secretary of State accept that many European Governments, such as those of Germany, France and the Irish Republic, have been playing selfish games with the British beef industry? Is it not about time they were told where and when to get off? Finally, in future negotiations, will the Secretary of State bat for Ulster beef, which is no doubt the best in Europe?

§ Sir Patrick Mayhew
Many people take that view, not least the Dutch. The hon. Gentleman will know that very big importers from Holland have stipulated that all beef from the United Kingdom should come exclusively from Northern Ireland. When the ban was imposed, they took the trouble to visit Northern Ireland to say they would continue in that if their Government allowed them to do so. I very much agree with the hon. Gentleman about the importance of the agriculture industry. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Ulster Farmers Union annual general meeting where, although they did not need to do so, farmers stressed the importance of getting the wholly unjustified ban lifted, not just from Northern Ireland but from the United Kingdom. My colleagues and I will certainly press for that with utmost vigour.