§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of (a) the number and (b) the percentage of youth unemployment, including those on youth opportunity programmes among the young working population nationally and regionally; and if he will evaluate the effect on these figures of summer school leavers.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 29 June 1981, c. 255]: The following table gives for 9 April, the latest date for which information is available, the numbers of young people under 20 years of age registered as unemployed nationally and regionally. It also gives the percentage rate of unemployment for this age range which is available only on a national basis. This figure does not include those on the youth opportunities programme. The numbers of young people on the programme at the end of April, as notified to me by the Manpower Services 445W Commission, are shown in the final column of the table. It is too early to assess the effect of summer school-leaving on these figures.
The Government's special employment measures exist to help unemployed young people with training, work experience and temporary employment designed to help them get jobs.
Unemployed aged under 20 years 9 April 1981 Number on Youth Opportunities Programme at end of April 1981 Number Percentage rate South East (including Greater London) 84,997 .. 19,000 East Anglia 9,684 .. South West 23,263 .. 10,300 West Midlands 45,164 .. 25,600 East Midlands 23,613 .. Yorkshire and Humberside 38,983 .. 13,900 North West 58,831 .. 24,000 North 29,271 .. 17,700 Wales 23,760 .. 11,900 Scotland 52,664 .. 19,600 Great Britain 390,230 17.7 142,000 .. Not available.
§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total of young people who have registered at careers offices in each of the travel-to-work areas in Cumbria in the last month for which statistics are available.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 6 July 1981]: The following is the provisional information for 11 June 1981:
Number registered as unemployed at careers office Carlisle 985 Furness* 756 Kendal* 147 Keswick 25 Penrith 218 Whitehaven* 557 Workington* 567 * Travel-to-work area comprising two or more employment office areas. The youth opportunities programme aims to provide unemployed young people with appropriate training and work experience that will help them get jobs.