§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list those organisations in Calderdale with which the West Yorkshire area committee has been in contact in connection with the youth opportunities programme and the special temporary employment programme; how many meetings have taken place between representatives of the West Yorkshire area committee and Calderdale council representatives; and what further meetings are planned;
(2) how many inquiries have been received from employers by the West Yorkshire area committee about participating in either the youth opportunities scheme or the special temporary employment programme; how many such inquiries 582W have come from Calderdale; and how many visits to Calderdale have been made by representatives of the area committee to bring both schemes to the attention of employers and others.
§ Mr. GoldingI shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about progress in making fully operational the youth opportunities scheme and the special temporary employment programme; what are the main objectives of both schemes; how many people are expected to be assisted; when he expects both schemes to be fully operational; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GoldingI shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimates exist of the number of people there will be in Calderdale, and in West Yorkshire as a whole, benefiting from the youth opportunities scheme and the special temporary employment programme; and when both schemes will become fully operational.
§ Mr. GoldingI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the plans submitted by the West Yorkshire area board provide for 8,100 opportunities through the youth opportunities programme in the 12-month period 1st April 1978 to 31st March 1979. This total includes opportunities for young people on community industry schemes and job creation projects. Just over 500 of these opportunities are expected to be provided in Calderdale. In each case the number of young people who are likely to benefit may be lower than these figures as it is possible for a young person to participate on more than one opportunity.
Under the special temporary employment programme, the West Yorkshire area board is planning to provide nearly 1,400 temporary employment opportunities for adults in the area as a whole, of which approximately 100 will be in Calderdale.
The youth opportunities programme is expected to be fully operational by the autumn, although some individual schemes will continue to build up 583W throughout the year. The special temporary employment programme will become fully operational by the end of 1978, by which time all projects approved under the job creation programme will have ended.