§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidelines his Department has issued to civil servants administering funds allocated to inner city task force projects to ensure access to employment and training opportunities for residents of the task force areas; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe aims of the inner city task forces include
providing more jobs for local people by identifying and removing impediments to their recruitment by local employers, and by encouraging local enterprise development;encouraging and facilitating enterprise by local people through the provision of enterprise training, financial and managerial assistance;improving the employability of local people, including those about to enter the labour market, by training programmes aimed at specific employment opportunities or identified gaps in the labour market.Funds are available to the task forces to address these aims, and I am satisfied they are being spent accordingly.