§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the planned cost of the young workers scheme; and what measures are being taken by his Department to promote this scheme.
§ Mr. AlisonOn 27 July my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said that the estimated cost of the young workers scheme for 1982–83 would be £60 million. No costs will be incurred through the operation of the scheme in 1981–82 apart from administration costs.
My Department issued press notices on 27 August and 31 December to announce the proposed introduction and the start of the scheme.
In addition, advertisements publicising the scheme have been carried by national daily and weekly newspapers since the first week in December.
Leaflets explaining the scheme are distributed to employers through my Department's regional offices, employment offices, jobcentres and careers offices, and have been sent to certain employers' and trade associations, and to the Department of Industry's small firms centres. Information is also distributed through the Department of Industry's business opportunities programme.