§ Mr. Scottasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give instructions to the Cabinet Office for the publication of the Solomons Report on the possibilities of a scheme for universal community service by young people.
§ Mr. GoldingVarious internal papers on the possibilities of a scheme for uni-652W versal community service by young people have been prepared and discussed. But it is not our practice to publish internal discussion papers. Many proposals, however, to reduce youth unemployment, including community service, have been considered by my Department and the Manpower Services Commission, and were discussed in the Manpower Service Commission's report "Young People and Work", published last year. That report set out the arguments against compulsory community service, which I accept, but a large expansion of community service opportunities for unemployed young people is an important part of the new youth opportunities programme which comes into operation on 1st April.