Long-term Unemployment (Hansard, 3 July 1985)

§ Mr. Parry
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the social consequences of long-term youth unemployment in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Allan Stewart
No specific assessment of the social consequences of long-term youth unemployment has been made in Scotland.
A study of the social and psychological effects of unemployment on disadvantaged young people was, however, undertaken on behalf of the Department of Employment by the social and applied psychology unit of Sheffield university. The study covered 11 urban areas in England. A summary of the first stage of the study appeared in the August 1984 issue of the Employment Gazette.

§ Mr. Parry
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to reduce the level of long-term unemployment in Scotland and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Allan Stewart
The best means of improving prospects for all unemployed people in Scotland, as elsewhere in Great Britain, lies in the Government's economic strategy, re-emphasised in the Budget statement, of keeping inflation down, offering real incentive for enterprise and restoring competitiveness to industry.
The Government's full range of special employment and training measures continues to be available throughout Scotland for long-term unemployed people.

§ Mr. Parry
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the level of long-term youth unemployment in Scotland at the latest available date; and what was the level in July 1979.

§ Mr. Allan Stewart
On 11 April 1985, the latest date for which information is available, the number of unemployed claimants in Scotland under the age of 25 years who had been unemployed for over a year was 42,382. It is difficult to make a comparison with July 1979 because of the change in the basis of the count in October 1982 and the change to a ward based system for allocating claimants to localities. The number of registered unemployed under the age of 25 years who had been unemployed for over a year in jobcentre areas in Scotland in July 1979 was 10,294. This information is available in the Library.