§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give as much detailed information as may be available showing to what extent his Department has taken action to improve the employment situation and reduce unemployment in those areas within or near the parliamentary constituencies represented by hon. Members who are Ministers.
§ Mr. GoldingThe information requested is not maintained centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list each category of person for whom special arrangements are made to solve unemployment.
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§ Mr. GoldingI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that its general employment and training services are available for all unemployed people and that it tries as far as possible to meet the specific needs and circumstances of each individual who seeks its help. It does, however, make special provision for certain groups of people. For disabled people the special provision includes a disabled resettlement service, sheltered employment in factories and workshops, and the employment rehabilitation service. For young people the Commission recently announced details of its Youth Opportunities Programme, which will when fully operational, from September provide some 230,000 work experience and training opportunities annually for young people.
Young people have also benefited from the annual programmes of special training measures through which since 1975 the Commission has encouraged and enabled industry to maintain its recruitment of apprentices and other long-term trainees. For the long-term unemployed the Commission operates on behalf of my Department the special temporary employment programme for adults, under which priority is given to people aged 19 to 24 who have been unemployed for six months or more and to those aged 25 and over who have been unemployed for 12 months or more.
The Commission's Professional and Executive Recruitment service—PER—provides advisory, placement and training services for people seeking employment, in managerial, executive, professional, scientific and technical occupations. My Department also operates a number of special measures aimed at maintaining or creating employment. Of these the temporary employment subsidy and the small firms employment subsidy are not directed at any special category of person. The job release scheme does, however, aim to encourage employed people within one year of retiring age to retire early and to give up their jobs to a younger person.