§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will extend the community programme to two years in order to ensure greater continuity of the scheme for participants.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonNo. The community programme provides temporary job opportunities for long-term unemployed people which are normally restricted to a maximum of 12 months. We believe that this duration provides an acceptable balance between helping as many people as possible within the resources available while providing worthwhile work experience which can lead to permanent employment.