§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of job opportunities available to young persons in the 17 to 23-year age group in the Banff and Buchan constituency (a) at the start of 1985 and (b) at the latest available date.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe information requested is not available; statistics on vacancies are not classified by age group. Opportunities for young people will be enhanced by the expansion of special employment and training measures announced in the Budget.
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list in the Official Report the numbers, separating male and female, of young people unemployed in the Banff and Buchan constituency in the years 1983 and 1984; and what are the latest figures for 1985;
(2) if he will list in the Official Report the numbers, showing male and female separately, of the adult population in the Banff and Buchan constituency who were unemployed for more than six months in the years 1983 and 1984; and what are the latest available figures for 1985.
§ Mr. Allan StewartI regret the information is not available in the precise form requested. Unemployment figures for parliamentary constituencies are available only from September 1984 and can be obtained from the House of Commons Library.
81WInformation on the number of unemployed claimants by sex, age and duration in the Banff, Fraserburgh and Peterhead jobcentre areas, within which the Banff and Buchan constituency is located, is available in the House of Commons Library for the periods requested.
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take in order to reduce the rate of unemployment for both male and female persons in the Banff and Buchan constituency; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe best means of improving employment prospects lies in the Government's strategy, reiterated in last week's Budget statement, of keeping inflation down, offering real incentive for enterprise and restoring competitiveness to industry. This strategy will help the Banff and Buchan constituency as much as the rest of the country. The Government's full range of employment and training measures is available to people in the constituency through the Manpower Services Commission. The Fraserburgh project, a three year self-help initiative, funded by the Scottish Development Agency and the private sector, was launched in October 1984 with the aim of creating 450 jobs and safeguarding another 200 in the next three years.