§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether financial assistance to polytechnics will be protected from further cuts in public
130Win (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands at the latest convenient date; and how this compares with May 1979.
§ Mr. Jim LesterThe information requested, where available, is given in the schedule below.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people he estimates are on short-time working in (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands at the latest convenient date; and what percentage of the work force this represents in each case.
§ Mr. Jim LesterInformation on short-time working is available only for operatives in manufacturing industries. During the week ended 16 August, the latest date for which information is available, 78,000 operatives in the West Midlands region were on short-time working, either for the whole or part of the week. This represented 8.5 per cent. of all employees in employment in the manufacturing industry in the region.
Corresponding information for Wolverhampton is not available.
expenditure; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Mark CarlisleThe Government's expenditure plans are kept under review in the light of economic and other developments, and no undertakings can be given in respect of specific sectors. It is 131W for local authorities to determine the level of provision in polytechnics and other maintained educational establishments.