Departmental Responsibilities (Hansard, 29 April 1983)

§ Mr. Tebbit

Since May 1979, my Department has contributed to the Government's strategy designed to 459W achieve a sound economy, tackle the underlying causes of unemployment and create the conditions necessary for growth.

We have increased the help given through the Department and the Manpower Services Commission under special measures to groups hardest hit by unemployment. Expenditure on these schemes has risen in constant money terms* from £511 million in 1978–79 to an estimated £1,150 million in 1982–83. Spending of £1,800 million has been allocated in the Estimates for 1983–84.

In addition to the temporary short-time working compensation and job release schemes we have introduced new measures to help the unemployed: — the community programme will this year provide up to 130,000 places for long-term unemployed people on projects of value to the community. The voluntary projects programme will provide voluntary opportunities for at least 28,000 unemployed people. — the young workers scheme, currently covering some 110,000 young people, provides an incentive to employers to take on young people at wage rates which by allowing realistically for their lack of training and relative inexperience improve their chances of employment; — the enterprise allowance scheme to assist unemployed people to become self-employed, following pilot experiments in six areas, is to be extended nationwide from August this year; — the job splitting scheme, introduced in January 1983, encourages employers to split existing full-time jobs into two part-time jobs and so open more job opportunities for unemployed people; — a new part-time job release scheme will come into operation in October this year.

We have given fresh impetus to the reform of industrial training. The number of statutory industrial training boards has been reduced from 23 to seven, so reducing costs and providing a better framework for meeting future needs. In December 1981 our White Paper "A New Training Initiative — A Programme for Action" reflected agreement among all parties on a new approach to training and made proposals for providing effective training for young people, modernising skill training and expanding opportunities for adults.

In 1983 we are launching the new youth training scheme, which will cost almost £1 billion in a full year and provide 460,000 year-long places of high quality training and work experience for 16 and 17-year-old school leavers. The scheme will replace and build upon the youth opportunities programme, which has itself helped 1,680,000 young people since May 1979.

In November 1982 the Prime Minister announced a new technical and vocational education initiative to broaden the curriculum of 14 to 18-year-olds and relate it more closely to employment needs. Some 14 pilot schemes run by local education authorities and co-ordinated by the MSC will begin in September.

We have endorsed 1985 as the target date by which skill training for all significant occupations should be to agreed standards. The Manpower Services Commission has recently published a discussion document on adult training which will help to identify the way forward in this area. The Open Tech programme is now under way and helping to meet the training needs of technicians and supervisors.

Since May 1979 we have taken a number of steps to reform industrial relations law. The 1980 and 1982 Employment Acts have provided considerable protection for non-union workers employed in closed shops, and have restored to those damaged by irresponsible and 460W unjustifiable industrial action the right to seek a remedy in the courts against the union concerned. The Acts have also outlawed indiscriminate secondary action and restricted lawful picketing to a picket's own place of work.

At all stages we have consulted fully about our proposals. I am currently considering the responses to the Green Paper "Democracy in Trade Unions" — Cmnd. 8878 — published in January, which discusses the election of trade union officials, strike ballots and the political funds of trade unions and the levy paid by their members.

Since coming to office, the Government have remained committed to maintaining the level of assistance for disabled people to help them into jobs. A number of the services and special schemes provided through the Manpower Services Commission have been reviewed since 1979, and changes made to ensure they meet the needs of disabled people as effectively as possible. The Government have asked the Commission to consider ways of making the quota scheme more effective within the existing legislation, and at the same time to press ahead with the development of a code of practice on the employment of disabled people.

Over the past four years my Department has continued to play a full part in the work of the European Community bearing on employment and related issues. Between 1979 and 1982 the allocations to the United Kingdom from the European social fund increased from £130 million to £258 million and we have also agreed a number of constructive Community measures in the employment field, notably relating to health and safety, such as the directive protecting workers from lead.

The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of my Department's services have been kept under close scrutiny. Changes have been identified and are being introduced in the unemployment benefit service and the training and employment services run by the Manpower Services Commission. These changes have, for example, resulted in a removal of the requirement for unemployed people to register for work at jobcentres.

* Expenditure adjusted by applying the gross domestic product deflator at market prices, with 1981–82 as the base year.