§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Reportthe numbers of those benefiting under each particular job scheme for each month of 1979.
§ Mr. Jim LesterThe information requested is given in the schedule below.
ment since 5 May to the latest available date; if he will list the firms concerned; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MayhewFrom 5 May 1979 to 16 January 1980 the number of proposed redundancies notified to my Department for the Merseyside metropolitan county council area was 13,625 employees at 199 firms. To identify the firms concerned would be a breach of the confidence in which information is given under the compulsory notification provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975.
129WDuring the same period 44 firms, employing 2,406 workers, formally withdrew their redundancy notification.
All the facilities of the Manpower Services Commission will be available to help the workers affected find new jobs or retrain for fresh employment. Furthermore, the changes in the Government's regional industrial policy announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry in July 1979 will mean that incentives to encourage investment will in future be concentrated on areas of most need, such as the Merseyside special development area.