§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the increase in unemployed school leavers on Merseyside since May 1979 to the latest available date.
§ Mr. Jim LesterAt 13 November 1980, the provisional number of school leavers under 18 years of age registered as unemployed in the Merseyside special development area was 6,748. This was 2,697 more than the corresponding figure at 10 May 1979. It should be noted, however, that the figure for May 1979 would not have included that year's summer school leavers and that the figure for November 1979 was 5,211.
The youth opportunities programme is available to help unemployed young people, and I announced on 21 November 1980 that the Government have decided to expand YOP from 250,000–260,000 places on the current year to 430,000–440,000 places in 1981–82. The programme will focus particularly on the groups of young people in the immediate post-school years.