§ Mr. Goldingasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers are currently registered as unemployed in North Staffordshire; and how this figure compares with the comparable figures for 1977, 1978 and 1979.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe following table gives the numbers of school leavers under 18 years of age registered as unemployed in North Staffordshire at February each year in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981. North Staffordshire has been taken as the area covered by the employment offices of Biddulph, Burslem, Cheadle, Hanley, Kidsgrove, Leek, Longton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent, Stone and Uttoxeter. Most school leavers from Stone and Uttoxeter are included in the figures for careers offices in Burton-on-Trent and Stafford and so do not appear in the table.
February each year:
1977 111 1978 85 1979 95 1981 843 The hon. Member will know that last November my right hon. Friend announced major improvements in the youth opportunities programme designed to help unemployed young people.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of last year's school leavers are still unemployed in (a) the North-West, (b) Merseyside, (c) Kirkby and (d) Ormskirk.
YOP Entrants STEP Entrants 1 April '79 to 31 January '80 1 April '80 to 31 January '80 1 April '79 to 31 January '80 1 April '80 to 31 January '80 Cumbria 2,000 3,180 550 270 Northern Region 25,700 34,000 2,800 3,130