§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to reduce unemployment on Merseyside and in Kirkby, especially amongst young people.
§ Mr. GoldingFollowing discussions which I have held with the careers officers and the staff of the Manpower Services Commission's special programmes division in Merseyside, urgent consideration is being given to increasing the staffing of the careers service in the area. Following representations, the community industry national management board has approved an increase in the number of community industry places available for Liverpool from 200 to 450, for Knowsley from 115 to 300, for St. Helens from 60 to 100, and a new unit at Sefton of 50 places.
The youth opportunities programme currently provides some 10,500 opportunities on Merseyside—of which there are 760 in Kirkby. It is to be expanded nationally and will have a target of 100–120,000 filled places to be reached toward the end of 1979. The MSC has undertaken to ensure that no young person aged under 19 who leaves school in the course of the school year 1978–79 should remain unemployed by Easter 1980 without the offer of a suitable place in the programme and the Commission will also aim to offer by 31 March 1980 a suitable place in YOP to every young person unemployed for a year or more. I believe these measures will be especially beneficial to areas such as Merseyside which suffer particularly high levels of youth unemployement.
Additionally, we have tried to meet the needs of Merseyside by introducing new funding arrangements for training workshops, project-based work experience schemes and community service schemes under YOP and for special temporary employment programme schemes. These should encourage more sponsors to come forward. Transport can now be provided for school leavers still awaiting an offer in YOP who otherwise could not travel to an area where suitable opportunities are available.
On 17 November 1978 I visited Liverpool and was able to announce an MSC 190W grant of £2.8 million to the city to provide jobs for the long term unemployed—on projects to assist in the rehabilitation of property in the city's ownership and to help improve the amenities and appearances of parks and other public land.