§ Mr. Macleanasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement about the regional allocation of places on the community programme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe community programme was started in October 1982 when it was decided that the places available should be allocated to regions according to the evidence of long-term unemployment.
In practice, the rate of progress in providing job opportunities on the programme varied significantly between regions and some 7,000 places were therefore reallocated in order to make the most effective use of available funds. However, it remains our aim to allow unemployed people equal access to a place on the programme and we have therefore been considering how current imbalances between regions should be corrected.
We have now agreed with the Manpower Services Commission that it will plan to achieve the following allocation of places by October 1986:
Regions Filled places by October 1986 London 14,430 South East 15,080 South West 7,670 Midlands 25,640 Wales 8,300 North West 19,940 Yorkshire and Humberside 13,000 Northern 10,600 Scotland 15,340 Total 130,000