HC Deb 03 May 1994 vol 242 cc425-6W
Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list every urban policy initiative that has been instituted or operated since 1979, the date that each scheme began operating, where appropriate the date that the scheme ceased operating and the funds available on an annual basis under each scheme.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Employment Department assistance has since 1979 been targeted on unemployed people—especially long-term unemployed people—wherever they are. However, in 1989 inner-city compacts were established—an initiative which is now part of the single regeneration budget. Details are shown in the following table:

Inner city compacts—England
Expenditure £ million Number of compacts
Outturn
1989–90 3.0 25
1990–91 5.5 38
1991–92 5.5 48
1992–931 4.85 50
Estimated outturn
1993–941 4.7 50
1 Figures exclude Compacts which were set up from 1992–93 outside inner cities.

In addition, since the creation of the Employment Service as an executive agency in 1990 its annual performance agreement has included a target for a percentage of placings to be of unemployed inner city residents. To help meet this target the ES allocates additional staff resources—inner-city officers.

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