§ Mr. Corrieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make an announcement on the location of an enterprise allowance pilot scheme in Scotland.
§ Mr. YoungerI have asked the Manpower Services Commission to establish an experimental enterprise allowance pilot scheme in North Ayrshire and applications will be accepted from 12 April this year. The scheme will cover the areas of Cunninghame district—excluding Arran—and Kilmarnock and Loudoun district.
The scheme offers payments of £40 per week for up to a year to unemployed people who put at least £1,000 into starting up their own business. It will be administered by the Manpower Services Commission and those taking part will receive the advice and counselling of the Scottish Development Agency's small business division.
The scheme will be run on an experimental basis and applications will be accepted until March 1983. It represents an important new initiative in the Government's assistance for small business and help for the unemployed and I shall be monitoring its progress closely.