§ 46. Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement regarding the recent report "There's Work to be Done", submitted to his Department by the Manpower Services Commission, with particular reference to the suggestion contained in the report that selective measures may now be a more effective means of curbing long-term unemployment than mere reliance on increased demand.
§ Mr. BoothThe foreword to the report makes it clear that the report represents the personal views and ideas of its author, Mr. Santosh Mukherjee, not of the Manpower Services Commission. The commission decided to publish it to stimulate public discussion. On 31st October the commission submitted to my right hon. Friend contingency plans for a number of steps to help combat the effects of rising unemployment if that should occur, and he is now considering them.