HC Deb 15 December 1986 vol 107 cc368-9W
Mr. Hayward

asked the Paymaster General if he will make a statement on the European Community Labour and Social Affairs Council held in Brussels on 11 December, including the agreed action programme on employment growth.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

I presided at this Council. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment, my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Lee), represented the United Kingdom. The Council adopted an action programme for employment growth based on a text put forward by the United Kingdom, Italy and the Republic of Ireland. The programme sets the four priorities for the Labour and Social Affairs Council's future work as being the promotion of new business and employment growth, more efficient labour markets, better training for young people and adults, and more help for long-term unemployed people. First proposals under the programme are to be brought forward before the next Labour and Social Affairs Council. The European Commission will in addition be making six monthly reports to the Council and the European Parliament on progress made in the Programmes implementation.

The agreement to an action programme on employment growth is a major step forward in ensuring that the European Community makes a more effective contribution to reducing the current level of unemployment in the Community, which stands at some 16 million. Within its four priorities, the action programme sets out some 40 specific proposals for action to be taken either by the European Community or by member states, ranging from the provision of better support services for small firms to the promotion of training, counselling and guidance for the long-term unemployed.

For example, it calls for a reduction in burdens on enterprise including a review of current EC legislation in order to remove obstacles to self-employment. It includes measures aimed at improving the employment prospects of women and those of disabled people and residents of inner city areas. It endorses the need for up to two years vocational education and training for school leavers leading to recognised vocational qualifications. It also calls amongst other measures for the removal of obstacles to the further growth of part-time and temporary work and for Community-level support for efforts to establish and expand co-operatives.

The Council invited the European Commission to put forward the first of its specific proposals particularly on training and long-term unemployment before the meeting of the Labour and Social Affairs Council under the forthcoming Belgian Presidency. The Belgian and Danish Ministers undertook to carry forward the programme during their respective presidencies in the coming year. It will remain our aim to ensure that the action programme is translated as quickly as possible into specific measures to be taken by the Community and member states. I am placing in the Library a copy of the resolution containing the action programme.

The Council was unable to reach agreement on the draft directive prescribing four named carcinogens, due to the inability of one country to subscribe to a text supported by the other 11 member states, or on the draft directive on benzene due both to the absence of an opinion from the European Parliament and to the inability of two countries to accept proposed figures for an action level. The Council was also unable to reach agreement on the draft decision of the EEC/Yugoslavia co-operation agreement.

The Council reached agreement on the allocation of extra resources to the Council's actions to combat poverty following the accession to the Community of Spain and Portugal.