asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action is being taken by his Department to extend the scope of national insurance to the long-term unemployed.

Like my hon. Friend, I am concerned about the long-term unemployed and I am considering whether anything more can be done to help them. Extending the duration of flat-rate benefit is not, however, the ideal Solution since it gives most help to those better placed financially, for example, occupational pensioners. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, recently outlined a more constructive aim for the long-term unemployed, namely, that all of them should be offered a job or a training or retraining place and has asked Ministers to undertake the necessary studies.