§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take immediate steps to ensure that young unemployed persons in the borough of Walsall have a reasonable opportunity of very shortly obtaining employment.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 1 July 1980, c. 468]: The job prospects for school leavers, as for all other age groups, depends on the success of the Government's policies designed to reduce inflation and create a climate more favourable for industry and commerce which in turn will lead to increased economic activity and lower unemployment.
I announced on 14 February that the Government had agreed to the proposal by the MSC to increase the size of the youth opportunities programme from 210,000 entrants in 1979–80 to 250,000–260,000 entrants in 1980–81. This will enable the Commission to continue to operate, under the programme, its undertakings to unemployed school-leavers and young people unemployed for 12 months or more. Both YOP and the two undertakings will continue to cover Walsall in 1980–81. Also, the temporary short-time working compensation scheme and the job release scheme will contribute towards reducing unemployment and helping hard-hit groups such as young people.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been made redundant in the cane sugar refinery industry in the United Kingdom in each year since the United Kingdom entered the European Economic Community; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 1 July 1980, c. 466]: I regret that separate figures are not available for this industry.