HC Deb 14 January 1988 vol 125 c350W
Ms. Harman

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many jobs have been created by the Peckham task force in(a) its first 12 months of operation and (b) its second 12 months of operation; and how many of those jobs have been filled by (i) young people and (ii) local people.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Many north Peckham task force projects create new jobs directly. Other jobs are created indirectly by businesses helped by task force work— jobs in firms assisted by the task force development fund; — jobs created in voluntary or statutory agencies as a result of task force assistance; — jobs gained for residents as a result of training courses facilitated by the task force.

In addition, the broad range of work being encouraged by the task force to increase skills and enterprise amongst north Peckham residents feeds through into more confident and employable people who can compete for and hold down jobs in the wider London economy.

It would involve disproportionate cost to estimate the jobs resulting directly and indirectly from the whole of the task force's work, and be misleading to include only those that can be readily counted.

Ms. Harman

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent by the Peckham task force; and in relation to any expenditure on estates, which estates have been the recipients of work paid for through the task force.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Since the Government's north Peckham task force was set up in 1986, some £2.3 million of Government funds have been committed for task force projects benefitting the residents of the area. Of this, about £1 million has come from funds available to task forces and £1.3 million from other Government programmes. In addition, some £250,000 has been committed by the private sector and £130,000 by the local authority. Estates which have benefited from task force funds are north Peckham estate, where the task force contributed to improved lighting and the refurbishment of premises for Southwark adult education institute, and Gloucester Grove estate, on which projects to establish shopping facilities and to convert unused garages to workshops for small firms are in hand.