§ Mr. Fallonasked the Paymaster General how much assistance has been given to small businesses in the northern region in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. TrippierFigures are not available for the total amount of assistance given to small firms in the northern
1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million Community Programme — 9.0 12.0 20.0 42.0 56.0 71.0 Enterprise Allowance — — — — 1.3 4.3 5.7 Voluntary Projects Programme — — — 0.02 0.2 0.5 0.7 Community Industry — — — 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Training Opportunity Programme 8.4 8.4 7.1 6.5 7.2 13.1 — Adult Training Strategy — — — — — — 12.3 YTS — — — — *49.7 46.9 48.6 Young Workers Scheme — — — 2.6 3.8 2.7 2.2 * Figure includes estimated expenditure in Cumbria. Expenditure on the job splitting scheme in the northern region is estimated to have been below £50,000, in each year.
§ Mr. Fallonasked the Paymaster General how many people were placed in jobs by jobcentres in the northern region in 1983, 1984 and 1985.
§ Mr. LangFollowing is the requested information. The figures exclude placings on Government schemes.
Number 1983 83,311 1984 92,094 1985 99,408
§ Mr. Fallonasked the Paymaster General whether he will publish a table showing how many people have benefited in the northern region from (a) the community programme, (b) the enterprise allowance scheme, (c) YTS and (d) adult training in each year since 1983; and how many are currently benefiting from each scheme.
416Wregion, but a broad range of assistance, including the benefits of the Government's overall economic policies, is available to them. Specific measures for which figures are available include the small firms service, the enterprise allowance scheme, the loan guarantee scheme, and the Department of Trade and Industry's business improvement services. The following figures can be provided, although they do not all refer to the same geographical area.
The small firms centre in Newcastle from 1980 to 1985 answered 95,000 inquiries and arranged 10,000 counselling sessions.
The loan guarantee scheme, since its introduction in 1981, has provided guarantees for bank lending to small firms in the north-east, totalling over £22 million.
The enterprise allowance scheme has since 1983 helped 7,333 unemployed people in the northern region to start their own businesses at a cost of over £11 million.
In the period to 31 March 1985, 816 applications had been made in those areas of the north-east eligible for business improvement services, and £6.78 million of expenditure committed.
§ Mr. Fallonasked the Paymaster General what has been the total expenditure by his Department and by the Manpower Services Commission in each year since 1979 on (a) job creation and (b) training, including retraining in the northern region.
§ Mr. LangExpenditure in the northern region is not separately accounted for and precise figures are there fore not available. Estimates of expenditure are given in the table.
§ Mr. LangIn April 1986, 29,854 people in the northern region were benefiting from the schemes. The number of participants, by scheme, were:
Number Community Programme 22,492 Enterprise Allowance Scheme 2,864 YTS 1,663 Adult Training 2,835 The number of entrants to the above schemes in the northern region during the past three years is shown in the table.
Programme 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 Community Programme 13,343 15,942 24,009 Enterprise Allowance Scheme 1,562 2,588 3,183 YTS 26,929 27,229 27,416 Adult Training 5,416 7,080 16,994