§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many youngsters in the Bishop Auckland constituency were helped by the youth opportunities programme from 1 April 1978 to 31 March.
§ Mr. Jim LesterI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that information on the youth opportunities programme is available only in respect of local authority districts. The Bishop Auckland constituency is covered by the local authority districts of Teesdale and
228Wother unemployed young people with work preparation and work experience designed to improve their prospects of finding a suitable and permanent job. The Government are currently reviewing the success of the programme in meeting this aim, and decisions on any future scale of operations will be taken accordingly.
The operation of the special temporary employment programme is also being reviewed, although this programme is for unemployed people aged 19 and over and is therefore of little relevance to school leavers.