§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what assistance is available for South Yorkshire from the European social fund to assist the training of girls for occupations in which women are under-represented and for the improvement of local training structures; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonThere are no regional restrictions on the assistance available from the European social fund for schemes which train girls in occupations in which they are under-represented or which improve local training structures. Eliglible schemes of this sort that operate in South Yorkshire are, therefore, on the same footing for social fund purposes as similar schemes in any other part270W of the United Kingdom. Applications for Fund assistance in 1982 should be submitted to the European Commission, via the Department of Employment, by the end of March.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will take steps to establish a greater priority for assistance to young people in the South Yorkshire area during the review of the European social fund in 1982;
(2) in view of the decline of traditional manufacturing industries including glass, engineering and textiles and the high youth unemployment rate in South Yorkshire, if he will make urgent representations to the European Commission to secure for the area youth unemployment area status immediately; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonThere is nothing that I can add to the reply that I gave the right hon. Member on 28 January—[Vol. 16, c.415–17.]