§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the report of the Policy Studies Institute concerning unemployment amongst coloured people.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe report concludes that the unemployment rates for people of West Indian and Asian descent are higher than that for white people. This conclusion, which confirms evidence from other sources, is not novel but remains a matter for concern. It emphasises how important it is for the ethnic minorities that the Government's policies to secure competitiveness and sound economic growth should succeed. The Government's special employment measures are doing much to mitigate the worst effects of unemployment, especially amongst the young. This Department and the Manpower Services Commission try to assist the ethnic minorities to obtain full benefit from the services and programmes they provide.