Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will outline the measures his Department is undertaking to reduce the regional variations in levels of unemployment in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. LeeMy Department co-operates closely with regional policy initiatives to bring help where it is most needed. In particular, our wide range of enterprise, employment and training programmes plays an important part in efforts to encourage local job creation, and give unemployed people the skills and experience they need to get back to work. It is most encouraging that over the past 18 months unemployment rates have been falling fastest in regions such as Wales, the north, and north-west, where unemployment was highest.