§ Mr. Boothasked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to deal with the problem of long-term unemployment.
§ Mr. Jim Lester, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 11 June 1979; Vol.968 c. 78], gave the following information:
We believe that the best way the Government can help the long-term unemployed is by creating a climate for faster growth. We intend to restore incentives and encourage efficiency. In this way we should be able to create genuine permanent jobs. The Manpower Services Commission's special temporary employment programme will continue to provide temporary jobs in the areas where unemployment is most serious i.e. the special development areas, the development areas and designated inner city areas. In addition the criteria for entry to schemes will be tightened to ensure that a higher proportion of entrants are drawn from the long-term unemployed. The MSC will also continue the undertakings to ensure that every unemployed young person who left school in the school year 1978–79 who remains unemployed at Easter 1980 will have been offered a suitable opportunity in the programme, and by 31 March 1980, to offer a suitable opportunity to all young people who have been unemployed for 12 months or more. The long-term unemployed can, of course, benefit from the full range of specialist advisory and placement services available through the public employment service and from a number of other special employment and training measures.