HC Deb 21 October 1982 vol 29 cc180-1W
Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current number of long-term unemployed on Merseyside and in Liverpool.

Mr. Alison:

In July 1982, the latest date for which figures are available, the numbers of people who had been registered as unemployed for over 52 weeks in the Merseyside special development area and in the Liverpool travel-to-work area were 60,723 and 42,702 respectively.

Additional help for the long-term unemployed in Liverpool and Merseyside, and elsewhere in the country, will of course be provided by the new community programme scheme introduced on 1 October. But the best way of helping all those who are unemployed is to improve employment prospects by getting the economy right. This is what our policies are designed to achieve.

Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest total of unemployed among persons aged 18 years and under on Merseyside and in Liverpool, respectively; and what were the comparable figures for October 1979.

Mr. Alison:

At July 1982, the latest date for which the quarterly age analysis is available, the numbers of young people aged 18 years and under registered as unemployed in the Merseyside special development area and the Liverpool travel-to-work area were 21,764 and 13,703 respectively. The corresponding figures at October 1979 were 21,764 and 13,703 respectively. The corresponding figures at October 1979 were 14,757 and 10,565. The July 1982 figures include a higher proportion of summer school leavers than would have been the case in October 1979.

Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans Her Majesty's Government have for reducing unemployment amongst young people aged 18 years and under on Merseyside.

Mr. Alison:

Unemployment, including youth unemployment, will fall in Merseyside and the rest of the country with the success of the Government's economic policies. Our policies have already reduced inflation to single figures and are helping to increase the growth and international competitiveness of British industry.

In the meantime the youth opportunities programme is helping unemployed young people by providing courses of work experience and training. Next year the new youth training scheme will replace the current programme and will provide a full year of foundation training.

Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimated number of young people unemployed in the areas covered by the Liverpool, Toxteth and Scotland Exchange constituencies; and how these figures compare with the national average.

Mr. Alison:

The numbers registered as unemployed are compiled for employment office areas and not for parliamentary constituencies. At 8 July 1982, the latest date for which an age analysis is available, there were 5,030 young people aged 18 and under registered as unemployed in the Liverpool employment office area, which is somewhat larger than the combined constituencies of Toxteth and Scotland Exchange. The corresponding figure for the United Kingdom was 536,760.