§ Mr. Hayhoeasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are employed in the Manpower Services Commission; at what total annual cost; and how this compares with the position 12 and 24 months ago.
§ Mr. GoldingThe numbers of staff employed in the office of the Manpower Services Commission, the Employment Service Agency and the Training Services Agency at the latest available date and the corresponding figures for the two preceding years are given in the table below:
salaries, accommodation and other related administrative costs are tabled below:
§ Mr. GoldingIn January, 7,164 people, including school leavers, were registered as unemployed in the employment office areas of Stratford, Canning Town and East Ham—which most closely correspond to the London Borough of Newham—a rise of nearly 500 since December 1977. However, the number of unfilled vacancies notified to these offices rose by 223 to 859 over the same period. The reasons for the high number of unemployed are due partly to the effects of the economic recession and partly to structural problems arising from inner city decline.
The special employment measures we have introduced have so far helped nearly 650 people in the Newham area and will be further developed this year by the introduction of the youth opportunities 329W programme and the special temporary employment programme. The borough will also benefit from the Docklands Inner City Partnership, one of whose purposes is the arrest of industrial decline and the provision of employment opportunities.