HC Deb 22 May 1980 vol 985 cc272-3W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers on Merseyside, in Kirkby and in Ormskirk covered by the undertaking to 1979 school leavers, had not been made an offer of a place on the youth opportunities programme by the date of the last count; and when they are likely to receive an offer.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that on 10 April 1980, the day of the concluding count of progress towards the undertaking, the numbers of unemployed 1979 school leavers in the listed areas for whom provision had still to be made were as follows:

Merseyside 33
Kirkby 2
Ormskirk —

The majority of these young people have since been made an offer and it is expected that the few remaining cases will be cleared in the immediate future.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people on Merseyside in Kirkby and in Ormskirk covered by the undertaking to long-term unemployed young people had not been made an offer of a place on a youth employment programme on 10 April; and what he intends to do to remedy the situation.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that on 10 April 1980 in Merseyside there remained without the offer of a suitable place on the programme 134 of the 960 young people who, on 10 January 1980, had been registered as unemployed for over 12 months. The equivalent figures for Kirkby were:

Numbers of young people who, on 10 January 1980 had been unemployed for over 12 months 80
Numbers from previous total who remained on 10 April without the offer of a suitable place on the programme 17

In Ormskirk there were no young people remaining without the offer of a suitable place on the programme.

Despite the concerted efforts of MSC staff and the careers service, many of the young people remaining without an offer have resisted invitations to discuss opportunities in the youth opportunities programme. This lack of contact blurs the position and it is difficult to estimate the true number of young people for whom provision has still to be made. Efforts to establish contact will, of course, continue.