§ Mr. Chris Pattenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any proposals to develop opportunities in the health and personal social services for voluntary work by unemployed people and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe Department is issuing a consultation paper "Opportunities for Volunteering", inviting suggestions from selected voluntary organisations and other interested bodies on how best to expand the opportunities for unemployed people to undertake voluntary work in the health and personal social services; £3.3 million is available in 1982–83, the English share of the £4 million announced for this purpose for the country as a whole by the Prime Minister on 27 July 1981 [Vol. 9, c. 836]. I have placed a copy of the consultation paper in the Library.
The paper seeks suggestions for unemployed people to act as volunteers under the auspices of a voluntary or statutory agency; to contribute to neighbourhood care groups which reinforce the support given by families, friends and neighbours to the elderly, handicapped and other people in difficulty; and to take part in community and self-help groups. Priority will be given to schemes that will secure lasting benefits from increased volunteer involvement.
Volunteering cannot of course make up for the lack of a normal paid job, and that is why the Prime Minister's announcement of 27 July was chiefly concerned with a substantial package of measures to extend the Government's special employment and training programme. However we know that many unemployed people derive satisfaction from helping others and we want to make sure that those who want to volunteer can do so. We look forward to a constructive and imaginative response to our consultation paper by 8 January 1982, the closing date for comments.