§ Mr. George Rodgersasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the meeting held by the EEC Council of Ministers (Social Affairs) on 28th October 1977, at which Her Majesty's Government were represented.
§ Mr. John GrantI represented the the United Kingdom Government at the meeting of the EEC Council of Ministers (Social Affairs) at Luxembourg on 28th October.
One of the two main items on the agenda was the review of the European Social Fund on which I am glad to report full agreement was reached. The Council settled outstanding administrative and other issues which remained following the agreement reached at the meeting of the Council on 28th June. It also agreed on certain transitional arrangements. A proposal to extend the scope of the Fund to provide an immediate new aid for job creation was not agreed, but this subject was further discussed in the context of the Commission's paper on Youth Employment (see below). One outstanding issue is agreement on proposals for an Article 4 scheme for 589W women. Subject then to this point and to possible use of the conciliation procedure involving the European Assembly, the Review of the Social Fund has been completed.
The second major item was the Commission communication on youth employment, which was the subject of a preliminary discussion. I welcomed in particular the Commission's recognition of the value of work experience schemes, which should be eligible for assistance from the Social Fund, and also the proposal for some increase in resources for the existing scheme of assistance to the young unemployed under Article 4 of the Social Fund. I suggested that the Council might consider declaring an intention that member States would seek to ensure that every school leaver has the opportunity of a job, training or further education. The Council asked the Commission to submit proposals for a new category of aid under the Social Fund which would be likely to promote employment—centering on employment for young workers—at the present time and which would not fall into the existing categories of aid for vocational training or occupational mobility.
In addition, the Council agreed to extend the present programme of pilot schemes to combat poverty until 1980,
TOTAL REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED AT THE HACKNEY AND SHOREDITCH EMPLOYMENT OFFICES Male Female Total October 1973 … … … … … 1,819 191 2,010 October 1974 … … … … … 2,392 260 2,652 October 1975 … … … … … 4,012 776 4,788 October 1976 … … … … … 5,242 1,321 6,563 October 1977 … … … … … 5,692 1,652 7,344 The numbers registered as unemployed in the employment office areas which most closely correspond with the London
TOTAL REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED AT THE HOLLOW AY AND KINGS CROSS EMPLOYMENT OFFICES Male Female Total October 1973 … … … … … 1,907 296 2,203 October 1974 … … … … … 2,580 415 2,995 October 1975 … … … … … 4,811 1,110 5,921 October 1976 … … … … … 5,814 1,591 7,405 October 1977 … … … … … 6,031 1,731 7,762 The increase in unemployment that has taken place in both Hackney and Islington since 1973 reflects not only the economic recession but also the difficulties facing inner city areas highlighted in the White Paper "Policy for the Inner Cities" (Cmnd 6845)—such as loss of jobs, particularly for unskilled and semi
590Wand approved regulations amending the existing regulations concerning the application of social security schemes in the member States to migrant workers and their families. It also took note of three progress reports: on the activities of the Social Fund in 1976, on the implementation of the poverty programme, and on the work of the Advisory Committee on Safety, Health and Hygiene at Work.