HC Deb 26 July 1979 vol 971 cc448-9W
Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list the areas in Scotland which have been allocated funds from the EEC social fund to aid the Manpower Services Commission training courses for unemployed first job seekers under 19 years to prepare these young people for working life; and if he will list the value for each area and the number of young people in each area who will gain from these grants;

(2) if he will list the areas in Scotland which have been allocated funds from the EEC social fund grant to provide courses to assist young people under 18 years who are physically or mentally handicapped to settle into permanent employment, together with the value for each area and the number of persons in each area who will gain from these grants;

(3) if he will list the areas in Scotland which have been allocated funds from the EEC social fund grant to provide employment for unemployed young people age 16 to 18 years with practical work experience in a variety of jobs within the framework of planned work experience provided by employers, together with the value of grant for each area and the number of young persons who will gain employment.

Mr. Jim Lester

No applications have been submitted for assistance from the European social fund relating to operations carried out exclusively in Scotland in respect of schemes of work preparation on employers' premises for young people, Manpower Services Commission training courses for first job seekers or courses to assist handicapped young people into open employment.

Allocations from the social fund have been made, however, in respect of national schemes specifically for young people run by public authorities which have included operations in Scotland. In addition, handicapped young people have been included in national schemes for handicapped persons of all ages which have received social fund assistance.

I regret that it is not possible to calculate the proportion of these allocations which relates to operations in Scotland.

Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if any small industries in the rural areas of Scotland, and particularly in East Aberdeenshire, were granted part of the £86,075 which was in the first allocation of EEC social fund grants for the current year.

Mr. Jim Lester

This allocation was in respect of an application by the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas—COSIRA—whose operations are carried out only in England. None of this allocation, therefore, was applicable to Scotland.