HC Deb 21 July 1977 vol 935 cc715-7W
Mr. Brotherton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the cost to public funds of the community industry scheme; how many people have been employed by it; what schemes have been sponsored; and in what areas.

Mr. Golding

Between the inception of the scheme in early 1972 and the end of June 1977, expenditure by the Department of Employment to meet the scheme's wages costs totalled £14,022,500. Of this sum, £2,070,000 was in respect of the first quarter of the financial year 1977–78. Figures for expenditure by local authorities in support of the scheme are not available.

The total number of young people who had entered the scheme up to 9th June was 13,391, of whom 3,906 were employed on that date. A further 601 adult staff, responsible for supervising the work of these young people, were also in post.

A great many projects sponsored by local authorities or charitable organisations have been undertaken by Community Industry in the 42 areas in which it operates in the United Kingdom. Full details could be obtained only at inordinate cost.

The local authority areas in England in which Community Industry currently operates are as follows: Avon; Barnsley; Birmingham; Bradford; Camden and Islington; Cleveland; Corby; Coventry and Nuneaton; North-East Derbyshire, Chesterfield and Bolsover—covered by CI Derbyshire North East; Doncaster; Grimsby, and Cleethorpes—covered by CI Grimsby; Haringey; Knowsley; Lambeth; Leeds; Lewisham; Liverpool; Manchester; Newcastle upon Tyne; Newham and Tower Hamlets; Kingston upon Hull, and Beverley—covered by CI North Humberland; North Tyneside; Nottingham, Broxtowe, and Gedling— covered by CI Nottingham; Rotherham; St. Helens; Southampton, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Portsmouth, and Havant—covered by CI South Hampshire; South Tyneside, and Gateshead— covered by CI South Tyne; Wakefield; Wandsworth; Sunderland, and Easington —covered by CI Wearside; and Allerdale and Copeland—covered by CI West Cumbria.

In Scotland, the local authority areas covered are: Central Region; Dumbarton, Clydesbank, Bearsden and Milngavie, Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch, and Cumbernauld—covered by CI Dumbarton; Dundee; Dunfermline; Glasgow; Renfrew; Inverclyde, and Eastwood— covered by CI Lower Clyde; and Monk-lands, Hamilton, Motherwell, and East Kilbride—covered by CI North Lanarkshire.

In Wales, the local authority areas covered are: Blenau Gwent, Islwyn, Torfaen, and Newport—covered by CI Gwent: Ynys Mon, and Arfon—covered by CI Gwynedd; Mid-Glamorgan; and West Glamorgan.