§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the most current figures relating to unemployment in the new towns ringing London.
§ Mr. GoldingFollowing is the information at 14th October for the employment office areas which include the new towns:
Employment Office area
Number unemployed
Basildon … … 3,433 Bracknell … … 811 Crawley … … 798 Harlow … … 2,193 Hatfield … … 600 Hemel Hempstead … … 1,319 Bletchley (Milton Keynes) … … 1,099 Northampton … … 3,235 Peterborough … … 2,786 Stevenage … … 1,742 Welwyn Garden City … … 854 These figures are provisional.
§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he has initiated to deal with the position of unemployment in the new towns, with special regard to Basildon.
§ Mr. GoldingThe various special measures designed to ameliorate the worst effects of unemployment should help the new towns along with other parts of the country. Basildon is eligible to benefit from the following schemes which are administered either directly by my Department or by the Manpower Services Commission:
- The Job Creation Programme
- The Work Experience Programme
- The Temporary Employment Subsidy Scheme
- The Youth Employment Subsidy Scheme