§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment what policy changes are planned or have taken place in the last six months with respect to the
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Year ending 5 December 1980 Year ending 4 December 1981 Year ending 3 December 1982 Year ending 2 December 1983 Vacancies notified Southend 9,217 8,492 7,642 8,304 Basildon 5,434 4,055 3,884 5,095 Canvey Island 509 507 437 641 Grays 2,126 1,547 2,216 1,715 Rayleigh 2,691 2,743 2,217 2,350 Stanford-le-Hope 1,007 741 570 551 Tilbury 331 422 356 462 Manpower Services Commission funding of centres for the unemployed; and what has been the basis for these changes.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonNo specific policy changes have been introduced in the past six months in respect of centres for the unemployed supported under the community programme. However, in that period the Manpower Services Commission has issued guidance about general priorities in selecting projects for new and continued support. This guidance, which applies to all community programme projects, emphasises the need to ensure that they make a significant contribution towards increasing the long-term employment prospects of participants and create something of practical value to the community. As to the future, I cannot anticipate the outcome of discussions between the Manpower Services Commission and officials of the Trades Union Congress about funding of these centres.
§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many community programme schemes have been funded for longer than a year or have been re-funded from year to year; and what changes have taken place in the criteria for re-funding schemes in the last 12 months;
(2) how many changes of rules were made in the operation of the community programme scheme in the year to April 1984; and what were these changes.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonNo change has been made to the aims of the community programme, nor to the basis on which it is mounted, since its introduction in October 1982. But in order to ensure that new and continuing support is provided only for those projects which are fully in accordance with the programme's aims, the Manpower Services Commission has, in the last year, issued additional guidance to its staff and area manpower boards setting out general priorities and the position on certain activities involving the arts. Operating rules have also been further clarified and amplified whenever necessary.
It is for the commission's area manpower boards to consider whether support for a particular project should be continued for a further year. Information about the duration of projects is not kept centrally and could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.