§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people under the age of 19 years there are in the city of Manchester who have never had a job; if he will provide separate figures for each careers office and jobcentre at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will provide comparable figures for the same date in 1979.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 18 July 1980, c. 732]: The following table gives the numbers of registered unemployed young people aged 18 years and under who, at 14 June 1979 and 12 June 1980, had not been in employment since completing full-time education.
Careers offices June 1979 June 1980 Manchester 253 368 North Manchester 238 394 Openshaw 222 320 Withington 252 369 Wythenshawe 418 530 Employment offices June 1979 June 1980 Manchester 88 131 Manchester City 3 — Didsbury 31 14 Levenshulme 34 27 Moss Side 248 356 Newton Heath 33 38 Openshaw 1 9 Wythenshawe — 4 Note: The June 1980 figures are not strictly comparable with those for June 1979 because of the introduction, in September 1979, of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. Estimates by age or for local areas are not available but for the country as a whole the monthly figures for all unemployed are about 20,000 or 1½ per cent. higher than under weekly attendance.
§ Mrs. René e Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment if the Manpower Services Commission will continue to be able to offer (a) all school leavers without a job a place on its youth opportunities programme and (b) all young people who have been unemployed for more than a year a place on one of its programmes.
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§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 23 July 1980, c. 173]: I have made it clear on a number of occasions that the Government will continue to back the youth opportunities programme to the hilt. When the MSC submitted to the Government plans for YOP in 1980–81 it indicated it might approach the Government again if the average level of unemployment in 1980–81 rose above 1.65 million. If such an approach were made it would be carefully and sympathetically considered. So far this year entrants to the programme have increased by about a fifth over the corresponding period last year, a level of increase anticipated by the plans for the programme in 1980–81. I am discussing the future size and scope of YOP with the MSC and I have no doubt that the undertakings will figure prominently.