§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make 188W a statement on the latest unemployment figures for Merseyside.
§ Mr. GoldingAt 12th October, 88,166 persons were registered as unemployed in the Merseyside special development area. While this represents a welcome decrease of nearly 3,700 on the previous month, and is just below the October 1977 level, it is clear that at 11.7 per cent. unemployment in the area remains far too high.
Because of its status as a special development area, employers with investment projects on Merseyside will continue to qualify for the highest levels of regional incentives in Great Britain. In addition, the Department of Industry is continuing with its programme of advance factories for Merseyside and on 2nd August the Minister of State, Department of Industry announced another 230,000 sq. ft. for Liverpool and Birkenhead sufficient to provide a further 900 jobs.
Merseyside will also continue to benefit from the wide range of special employment and training measures which have so far helped nearly 55,000 people there. Further benefits should result from the youth opportunities programme and, in view of the serious unemployment probblems among young people, I ask employers, local authorities and community groups to do whatever they can to make this programme a success.