§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for Employment, with reference to the joint study being carried out by the Unit for Manpower Studies and the Manpower Services Commission on the potential manpower effects of microelectronic technology over the next five to 10 years, how many people are working on this study and when it began; if they are studying the potential unemployment effects; if a progress report is available; and when the interim and final reports will be available.
§ Mr. Golding:The Manpower Study Group on Microelectronics was set up at the beginning of July of this year to co-ordinate the interests of the Department of Employment group in microelectronic technology. Work on this subject had, of course, been going on within the DE group prior to that. The study group itself currently consists of three people, but other parts of the DE group including the Manpower Services Commission and the work research unit are also actively involved. The study group is principally concerned with the potential impact 184W of microelectronic technology upon employment. It will not be producing an interim report, having contributed the results of its own studies to the CPRS report that was made available following the meeting of the NEDC on 6th December. It hopes to produce a further report in the summer of next year.