§ 71. Mr. Willeyasked the Secretary of State for Employment what action has been taken regarding the 650 young people in Sunderland who left school in 1977 and who have not yet had the offer of a job.
§ Mr. Golding:The first priority of the careers service in Sunderland is to try to place young people, including the 650 young people who left school in the last academic year and have not yet found employment, in regular employment, but they are of course faced with high levels of unemployment. However, the Government have asked the Manpower Services Commission to ensure that no school leaver who remains unemployed by the following Easter is without the offer of an opportunity in the youth opportunities programme. The careers office and the area office of the Manpower Services Commission are in close consultation on the kinds of opportunities which are needed to meet this requirement.