§ 23. Ms. ArmstrongTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the numbers of people, as a proportion of the work force, in north-west Durham who are employed on the community programme.
§ Mr. LeeIt is not possible to give the information in the precise form requested. The "denominator" figure for the county of Durham in mid-1986, the latest date for which figures are available, is 229,708. On 30 October 1987 there were 6,036 filled places on the community programme in the county of Durham of which 1,288 were in north-west Durham.
§ 24. Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his plans for the future of the community programme.
§ Mr. FowlerI announced on 18 November that I propose to bring together existing programmes for unemployed adults, including the community programme, into a new adult training programme. I have asked the Manpower Services Commission for its comments on the detailed arrangements for the new programme and proposals for introducing it from September next year.