§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what evidence he has that the young worker scheme has created new jobs that would not otherwise have been available.
§ Mr. AlisonI have nothing to add to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Mr. Foster) on 9 November.—[Vol. 31, c.128.]
598W
Registered Unemployed Area All Ages Total number of which, unemployed for over 52 weeks Number As a percentage of total number Bolton jobcentre area 13,585 5,516 40.6 United Kingdom 3,295,128 1,169,558 35.5 South East 778,767 229,297 29.4 East Anglia 79,577 24,354 30.6 South West 197,099 62,577 31.7 West Midlands 380,236 155,741 41.0 East Midlands 194,534 67,569 34.7 Yorkshire and Humberside 303,100 110,990 36.6 North West 465,560 178,301 38.3 North 234,275 93,127 39.8 Wales 185,086 68,364 36.9 Scotland 352,750 127,837 36.2 Northern Ireland 124,144 51,401 41.4
§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what, in numerical and percentage terms, have been the increases in those unemployed for more than 12 months in Bolton amongst (a) young persons aged 16 to 18 years, (b) persons aged over 50 years and (c) all unemployed for the years 1978, 1979, 1980, and to the most recent available date in 1982;
(2) what, in numerical and percentage terms, have been the increases in unemployment in Bolton amongst (a) young persons aged 16 to 18 years, (b) persons aged over 50 years, and (c) all unemployed for the years 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981 and to the most recent available date in 1982.
§ Mr. Alison[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1982, c. 34]: The following table gives, for the groups specified, the increases in the numbers registered as unemployed-the old basis of the count-in the Bolton jobcentre area between October of each year from 1978.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what evidence he has as to the size of firms that are providing jobs under the young worker scheme.
§ Mr. AlisonReliable statistics on the size of organisations claiming payments under the scheme are not currently available. Evidence from a continuous 3 per cent. survey of employers making their first claim under the scheme suggests that about 60 per cent. employ fewer than 25 workers in all, about 30 per cent. employ 25 to 599W 499, and 10 per cent. more than 500. These figures may, however, under-represent the proportion of small firms participating.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what evidence he has as to the breakdown of jobs provided under the young worker scheme by Standard Industrial Classification.
§ Mr. AlisonThe following table shows the cumulative number of approved applications for support under the scheme to the end of November.
SIC Order No. and Order Cumulative total 1 Agriculture 3,488 2 Mining 144 3 Food, Drink 3,033 4 Coal and Petrol 36 5 Chemicals 1,324 6 Metal Manufacturing 1,677 7 Mechanical Engineering 6,312 8 Instrument Engineering 1,000 9 Electrical Engineering 4,373 10 Shipbuilding 724 11 Vehicles 1,522 12 Other Metals 3,357 13 Textiles 4,959 14 Leather 524 15 Clothing 5,577 16 Bricks, Pottery 1,264 17 Timber 4,144 18 Printing and Publishing 3,198 19 Other Manufacturing 2,797 20 Construction 14,845 21 Gas, Electricity, Water 160 22 Transport 3,524 23 Distribution 35,605 24 Banks 4,372 25 Professional Scientific 6,482 26 Miscellaneous Services 22,382 Total 136,811
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been taken on to the young worker scheme after they have been on the youth opportunities programme with the same employer.
§ Mr. AlisonThe exact number is not known, but current indications are that about 12 per cent. of all young workers for whom payments have been claimed have been with the same employer previously under the youth opportunities programme.
§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if trainees leaving the youth opportunities programme are eligible for the young worker scheme.
§ Mr. AlisonYoung people leaving the youth opportunities programme are eligible for support under the young worker scheme if they are under 18, earn less than £45 a week and are in their first year of employment. Eligibility is generally not affected by any period of employment before beginning a YOP course.
I have decided that the young worker scheme will continue to be available to assist employers who take on young people alongside the youth training scheme when it is introduced next year, and that the provisions relating to eligibility of those who leave the youth training scheme will be similar to those now applying to those leaving YOP.