HC Deb 14 October 1975 vol 897 cc658-9W
37. Mr. Stanbrook

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will propose the formation of a national organisation to provide opportunities for employment on community service projects, in return for subsistence allowances only, for those in receipt of unemployment benefit.

Mr. John Fraser

The Community Industry Scheme, which is supported by my Department, and the Manpower Services Commission's Job Creation Programme both offer employment on wages to people who would otherwise be unemployed on projects providing some amenity or service to the community.

Mr. Torney

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will now give further details of the measures to be made available through his Department to help reduce the level of unemployment.

Mr. Foot

When my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced his proposals for dealing with the unemployment problem on 24th September he mentioned in particular a number of items intended to operate directly on the labour market. These were:

  1. (i) A further allocation of £20 million to the Manpower Services Commission for the extension of the training activities of the Training Services Agency.
  2. (ii) A provision of £3 million further to extend the employment transfer scheme;

UNEMPLOYED ON 14TH JULY 1975
Numbers unemployed
Males Females Percentage rates of unemployment
Aged under 18 Aged 18 and over Aged under 18 Aged 18 and over Males Females
South-East … 9,096 175,270 5,612 37,852 4.1 14
East Anglia … 912 18,817 697 4,273 4.6 1.8
South-West … 3,180 58,536 2,358 13,695 6.6 2.6
West Midlands … 5,505 76,307 4,449 21,769 5.8 30
East Midlands … 3,654 44,336 2,955 11,206 5.2 2.4
Yorkshire and Humberside … 4,481 65,963 3,579 15,151 5.6 2.4
North-West … 11,111 122,587 7,721 26,787 80 3.1
North … 6,189 61,272 4,939 15,601 8.2 4.2
Wales … 3,692 46,139 2,898 12,193 7.7 4.0
Scotland … 13,503 84,390 8,486 25,025 7.5 3.8
Northern Ireland … 4,393 30,235 3,714 13,378 10.9 8.3

The rates of unemployment include certain fine adjustments which are not made to the figures for age groups.