§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Secretary of State for Employment what computerised job vacancy and skill availability services are currently available in the United Kingdom; how well there are working; and how effective they are in reducing the amount of unemployment benefit paid out.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe employment division of the Manpower Services Commission completed the national implementation of its computerised vacancy circulation and statistics system in November 1983; 757 jobcentres have terminals which are linked to computers in seven regional sites.
An enhancement of VACS known as NATVACS is currently being introduced. This will provide a nationwide computerised bank of selected vacancies, accessible by telephone from any jobcentre.
These arrangements make vacancy information available to jobseekers more quickly than previous methods. In doing so they help to fill vacancies more quickly and thus can reduce expenditure on benefits to the unemployed, although it is very difficult to quantify this effect.
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Standard Industrial Classification, 1968 Merseyside Special Development Area Kirkby jobcentre area Prescot jobcentre area Agriculture, forestry, fishing 3 — — Mining and quarrying — — — Food, drink and tobacco 86 3 — Coal and petroleum products 3 — — Chemicals and allied industries 16 3 — Metal manufacture 2 1 — Mechanical engineering 32 — 1 Instrument engineering 3 — 1 Electrical engineering 30 2 2
Merseyside Special Development Area Kirkby jobcentre area Prescot jobcentre area Shipbuilding and marine engineering 1 — — Vehicles 5 1 — Metal goods not elsewhere specified 41 8 1 Textiles 5 — — Leather, leather goods and fur 4 — — Clothing and footwear 69 2 4 Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc 3 — — Timber, furniture, etc 41 3 — Paper, printing and publishing 15 — 1 Other manufacturing industries 8 — — Construction 172 6 — Gas, electricity and water 27 — — Transport and communication 50 5 2 Distributive trades 513 2 3 Insurance, banking, finance and business services 160 1 1 Professional and scientific services 213 — 7 Miscellaneous services 538 9 5 Public administration 150 6 9 Total 2,190 52 37