Inner-city Task Forces (Hansard, 7 December 1988)

§ 1. Mr. Knowles
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what further progress has been made in the 16 inner-city task forces.

§ Mr. Simon Hughes
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the progress achieved by his Department's inner-city task forces.

§ Mr. Newton
Since the task forces first began their work in 1986, they have supported over 1,000 projects, committing over £33 million of Government funds to stimulate the regeneration of their areas.
At the last count, as I indicated in my answer to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) on 26 October, task forces projects have been approved that are expected to generate or safeguard at least 4,000 jobs, and to facilitate more than 20,000 training places. Over 400 companies have been involved in the task forces' work.

§ 55. Mr. Favell
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the progress of the inner-city task forces in the north-west.

§ Mr. Forth
The inner-city task forces are central to the Government's action for cities programme. Their objectives are to secure more jobs for local people, to improve their employability, to encourage and facilitate local enterprise and to support environmental and crime prevention initiatives which also contribute to these objectives.
All three inner-city task forces in the north-west have made excellent progress towards achieving these aims. To 167W date, the Moss Side and Hulme (Manchester), Preston and Rochdale task forces have supported 141 projects which, among other things, have helped to create or safeguard 214 jobs and 1,315 training places.
All three have established development funds in co-operation with private sector institutions to help the start-up or strengthening of small businesses. They have sought to improve residents' employability by, for example, sponsoring courses in English as a second language, with particular reference to job-seeking skills. Training courses in skills relevant to industries such as textile and knitting, construction, computing and the banking and finance sectors have also been established.