HC Deb 17 March 1981 vol 1 cc66-7W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will take steps to locate the headquarters of Community Industry in an area of high unemployment, such as Kirkby where a site at Kirkby Fields is ready;

(2) if he will make a full statement on the reasons why Community Industry has decided not to locate its headquarters in an area of high unemployment;

(3) how many staff will be working at the headquarters of Community Industry;

(4) if he will estimate the annual funds that the location of the headquarters of Community Industry will bring to the area in which it is relocated, the total number of workers, of all kinds that it will employ and the number that will be recruited locally.

Mr. Peter Morrison

Community Industry has recently carried out an internal investigation into the question of relocating its headquarters. Various options for a new site were considered, including that at Kirkby Fields, but CI management recommended that, although there were potential long-term advantages in relocating the headquarters in the North, it was not in the best interests of the scheme to make such a move at this time. The national management board of CI endorsed this recommendation on the grounds that during a period when CI was expanding its programme and consolidating its role, it was essential to maintain stability at headquarters especially in terms of staffing.

At present the staffing complement of CI's headquarters is 27, and the estimated cost of operating the headquarters during 1979–80 was £369,974, at its present site.