HC Deb 23 January 1979 vol 961 cc70-1W
14. Mr. Ioan Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a progress report on the youth opportunities programme.

Mr. Golding

I am informed by the MSC that of the 687,000 school leavers estimated to have been seeking jobs or training, some 24,000 were unemployed and had yet to receive an offer of a place under the youth opportunities programme at 7 December 1978. Up to November, 82,000 young people had benefited from the YOP and good progress is being made in securing the Government's undertaking that no Easter or summer school leaver of 1978 who remains unemployed at Easter 1979 should be without the offer of a place on the YOP. However, in some areas of very high youth unemployment, particularly Merseyside, Glasgow and some parts of Inner London, a considerable task remains in providing opportunities.

18. Mr. Park

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the youth opportunities programme and its impact in Coventry.

Mr. Golding

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that from 1 April 1978 to the end of December 1978, 2,145 places for young people were created under the youth opportunities programme in Coventry, and a total of 1,667 young people had joined the programme by the end of December.

19. Mr. Watkinson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the youth opportunities programme and its impact in West Gloucestershire.

Mr. Golding

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that from 1 April 1978 to the end of December 1978, 85 places for young people were created under the youth opportunities programme in West Gloucestershire, and a total of 89 young people had joined the programme by the end of December.

Good progress is being made in the West Gloucestershire area towards securing the objective that no Easter or summer school leaver of 1978 who remains unemployed at Easter 1979 should be without the offer of a suitable place on the youth opportunities programme. On 7 December 1979 there were 22 unemployed school leavers covered by this undertaking in the West Gloucestershire area who had not received such an offer but on the same date 52 places in the programme and 15 job vacancies were available in the area.