§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how much of public funds have been spent on the various schemes presently in operation to encourage the creation and maintenance of jobs.
§ Mr. Golding,pursuant to his reply [Official Report 29th November 1976; Vol. 921, c. 56], gave the following infortnation:
My Department administers a number of schemes to encourage the creation and maintenance of jobs.
Under the youth employment subsidy Scheme applications approved by 26th November involved a cash commitment of approximately £550,000. In general, payments are made quarterly in arrears so little or none of this has yet been spent.
At 26th November the cumulative cash commitment in respect of applications approved under the temporary employment subsidy scheme was £137 million. Expenditure by the end of October was £37.5 million.
From 1971, when it was set up, to the end of November the cost of Community Industry to this Department has been £9.6 million of which £5.6 million has been paid since September 1975.
£1.5 million has been allocated to the strengthening of the careers service for the period September 1975—March 1977. Expenditure by local authorities under this allocation was £400,000 up to the end of June 1976.
102WThe Manpower Services Commission have provided me with the following information about the schemes which it operates:
Grants totalling £71 million of the £90 million available for the job creation programme had been approved by 25th November. For a majority of projects payment is quarterly in arrears and the total of payments to sponsors under the programme by the end of November was £16 million.
By 27th November applications had been approved under the work experience programme involving a financial commitment of £2 million. Expenditure by the same date totalled £9,500.
Since June 1975 the Government have allocated an additional £143 million to the Manpower Services Commission for increased training in industry and for expansion of the Training Services Agency's direct training operations through the training opportunities scheme. It is not possible, however, to distinguish in each case actual expenditure of this additional money from that originally planned.
In addition the Department of Industry administers a number of schemes under the Industry Act which encourage the creation and maintenance of jobs.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many schemes are presently in force to encourage the creation and maintenance of jobs.
§ Mr. Golding,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 29th November; Vol. 921, c. 56], gave the following information:
Schemes for which my Department is responsible are:
The youth employment subsidy scheme designed to encourage employers to recruit young people under the age of 20 who have been unemployed for six months or more.
The temporary employment subsidy scheme, designed to encourage firms to defer redundancies which would otherwise have taken place.
Community Industry, which provides intensive supervision for youngsters who find it particularly difficult to settle into employment, has been expanded so that 103W it can employ up to 4,000 youngsters at any one time. Altogether this scheme has helped more than 10,000 young people.
The job creation programme, operated by the Manpower Services Commission, which aims to create some 70,000 jobs by providing labour intensive projects, particularly for young people.
The work experience programme, also operated by the Manpower Services Commission, designed to give young unemployed people opportunities to gain firsthand experience of working life.
The Government have also allocated additional funds to the Manpower Services Commission to increase provision for industrial training. These total £143 million since June 1975 and include £92.5 million allocated to the support of apprenticeships and other forms of longterm training in industry.
The Government have provided extra resources to strengthen the careers service in the areas of greatest need through 104W the creation of 230 extra posts devoted to encouraging job creation, training and additional employment opportunities for young people.
In addition, the Department of Industry administers a number of schemes under the Industry Act which encourage the creation and maintenance of jobs.