§ Mr. Dempseyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take action to remedy the differences in the treatment arising from the regulations governing the operation of the special tern porary employment programme which prohibit students leaving colleges of education from obtaining employment opportunities because they have not been six months unemployed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GoldingThe purpose of the special temporary employment programme is to provide temporary jobs as an alternative to prolonged unemployment. The Government have decided that preference should be given to those aged 19–24 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. Where no suitably qualified candidates are available, people who have been unemployed for shorter periods may be recruited. In addition to the 25,000 temporary employment opportunities to be provided under the special temporary employment programme, there will be openings for up to 8,000 adults to act in a supervisory or managerial capacity in projects mounted under the youth opportunities programme.