§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for employment if he will specify the provision for North Staffordshire to be made this year from the Government's programme of special employment and training measures.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI regret that specific information requested is not available for North Staffordshire. I am, however, able to say that from the commencement of the current financial year 1980–81 to 31 January 1981 the estimated cost of the current special employment and training measures and the approximate numbers of people covered by the measures at the end of January 1981 for the Midlands region—unless otherwise stated—is as follows:
Estimated cost in current year 1980–81 to 31 January 1981£m. Number of people covered at end of January 1981 Temporary short-time working compensation* 70.5 209,100 Job release scheme* 10.6 5,311 Youth opportunites programme† 24 25,700 Special temporary† Employment programme 4.4 695 Community Industry‡ see below * The figures given relate to West Midlands. † The figures given relate to the areas covered by the Birmingham and Wolverhampton area office of the Manpower Services Commission. ‡ There is no community industry unit in North Staffordshire. However, there are units at Birmingham, Coventry and Nuneaton, Corby, Leicester, Derbyshire NE (Chesterfield) and Nottingham.