HC Deb 11 February 1999 vol 325 c332W
30. Mr. Watts

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to increase the number of employment zones. [68902]

Mr. Andrew Smith

On 2 February my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I announced our future plans for Employment Zones. From April 2000, Employment Zones will target available resources more flexibly and effectively on unemployed people over 25 in at least 12 areas of the country which suffer from persistently high long-term unemployment.

Initially, Employment Zones will operate in Southwark, Nottingham City, Newham, Haringey, Doncaster, Plymouth, Tower Hamlets, Brent, Birmingham, Liverpool and Sefton, Brighton and Hove, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland.

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales announced separately that zones would also operate in Glasgow and in Anglesey; Gwynedd; Conwy and Denbighshire and Blaenau Gwent; Merthyr and Caerphilly.