§ Mr. Rifkindasked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the present responsibilities of his Department in Scotland other than the Manpower Services Commission, the Training Services Agency and the Employment Services Agency; and, other than these three authorities, for what matters his Department will be responsible in England for which they will not be responsible in Scotland after the implementation of the Government's devolution proposals.
§ Mr. BoothMy Department is responsible in Scotland for manpower planning and intelligence and statistics, wages inspection, regional employment premiums, redundancy payments, careers service, race relations and counter-recessionary measures. It is also responsibile for the unemployment benefit service which my Department administers on an agency basis.
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NUMBERS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED Office Area September 1974 September 1975 September 1976 Employment Males Females Total Males Females Total Males Females Total Alloa … … 600 129 729 787 318 1,105 950 525 1,475 Falkirk … … 865 384 1,249 1,203 612 1,815 1,282 903 2,185 Stirling … … 781 190 971 1,040 252 1,292 1,173 441 1,614 The Health and Safety Commission and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service are responsible for health and safety and industrial relations work, which falls within my responsibility. Consequent upon the decision to decentralise responsibility for the three authorities mentioned and, for the careers service, we are examining the transfer of responsibility for manpower planning and intelligence from my Department in Scotland to the Scottish Office.
There are no other changes in prospect.