§ Mr. Coombsasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will describe the current scope of the Employment Transfer Scheme in terms of numbers benefiting from the scheme, and annual expenditure.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkAs the scheme came into operation only on 5th April, 1972, it is too early to give figures of take-up and expenditure. However it
388Wseparately, how many, representing what percentage of employees, as defined in the London Gazette, were registered as unemployed; and how many, representing what percentage of the working population, respectively, had been out of work for more than eight weeks, in the spring of each year, 1963 to 1972.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithThe numbers and percentage rates of registered unemployed males and females in Great Britain in May of each year from 1963 to 1972 were:
below in absolute numbers and as percentages of the corresponding total working population estimates:
was estimated that, compared with the former scheme, numbers might double to about 16,000 and annual expenditure be of the order of £6 million.