§ Mr. Bradleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from the Institute of Careers Officers in a letter dated 3 March; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Jim LesterThe honorary secretary of the Institute of Careers Officers wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment on 3 March enclosing copies of two resolutions passed by the council of the institute on 1 March 1980. The first resolution asked the Government to request local authorities to exclude the careers service from cuts in staffing and the second resolution deplored the proposed reductions in the staffing of its careers service by the Leicestershire county council.
In respect of the first resolution I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Golding) on 17 March 1980.—[Vol. 981, c. 20.] In respect of the second resolution I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to him on 7 March 1980.—[Vol. 980, c. 368.] I now understand that the staffing reduction is likely to come into effect before September 1980, but it is still too early to assess its impact on the work of the Leicestershire careers service.