§ Mr. Grocottasked the Secretary of State for Employment what changes he proposes to make in the regional organisation in England of his Department and the Manpower Services Commission.
§ Mr. BoothOn 1st December 1977 the Department of Employment's regional directors in England will be replaced by regional manpower services directors (RMSDs) of the Manpower Services Commission appointed with my approval. These RMSDs will represent both myself and the MSC in their contacts with local authorities, economic planning councils, employers, unions and the regional representatives of other Government Departments. They will have general oversight of the development and operation of Manpower Services Commission's services in their regions and will take direct control of MSC special programmes for young people.
There will be seven RMSDs, one each for the Northern, North West, Yorkshire 58W and Humberside and South West Economic Planning Regions (EPRs), one for the West Midlands and East Midlands EPRs, one for London who will be the representative for the South East EPR and one for the rest of the South East and East Anglia who will be the representative for the East Anglia EPR.
The Department of Employment at regional level will continue to administer the temporary employment subsidy, the youth employment subsidy, the small firms employment subsidy and the job release scheme; the Race Relations Employment Advisory Service; notification of redundancies, redundancy and insolvency payments and the Maternity Pay Fund; wages inspection; employment agency licensing; and unemployment benefit; and to exercise central Government responsibility in relation to the Local Education Authority Careers Service.