§ Mr. Forresterasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the employment position and prospects in Stoke-on-Trent and the rate of unemployment.
§ Mr. Golding,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 14th December 1976; Vol. 922, c. 700], gave the following information:
On 14th October the number of people registered as unemployed in the Stoke-on-Trent travel-to-work area was 7,828 and the unemployment rate was 3.9 per cent. The area has benefited from the measures which the Government have taken to alleviate unemployment; so far, over 1,800 persons have been assisted in the Stoke-on-Trent travel-to-work area by means of the Job Creation and Work Experience Programmes, the temporary employment subsidy and the recruitment subsidy and youth employment subsidy schemes. In addition, it is hoped to train over 700 people in the North Staffordshire area this year under the Training Opportunities Scheme.