§ 28. Lord James Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make an up-to-date statement on the precise number of unemployed persons in Scotland, the work of the Job Creation Programme, and the prospects for obtaining employment for school leavers and graduates.
§ Mr. GoldingAt 10th June 1976, 144,134 persons were unemployed in Scotland: this is unacceptably high. The immediate prospects for this year's summer school leavers are far from promising although in the last few months there has been an encouraging rise in the number of unfilled vacancies at careers offices. I am confident that these young people will also benefit from the various special measures the Government have introduced. The situation for graduates is generally better.
Improvements in job prospects must depend ultimately on an improvement in the economic situation generally, the foundation of which is the Government's industrial strategy.
I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that, up to 18th June, 699 projects under the Job Creation Programme have been approved in Scotland providing 8,376 jobs.