§ Mr. Gardinerasked the Paymaster General what reductions have been achieved so far in the totals of longterm unemployed in each of the nine pilot areas in which the job start scheme is operating.
§ Mr. LangAnalysis of unemployment by duration are available only on a quarterly basis. The last count was undertaken on 9 January, only three days after the pilot schemes had begun. The analysis of the next count, undertaken on 10 April, is expected in late May.
For monitoring purposes, however, we have collected information on the numbers of people leaving the unemployment count after being contacted by the Manpower Services Commission under the initiative. The details for each of the nine pilot areas after the first six weeks of the scheme are as follows:
Number Dundee 86 Billingham 42 Preston 87 Huddersfield 62 Stoke-on-Trent 163 Port Talbot & Neath 57 Plymouth 66 Crawley and Horsham 111 Ealing 75 749 These figures include those who left the count any time after receiving letters from the MSC inviting them to in-depth counselling interviews, either before or after their interviews. It is not possible yet to say what proportion of these people would have left without the help of the scheme.