asked the Secretary of State for Employment what schemes were available in 1978 and 1979 to employ young people to help the elderly and disabled to insulate their homes; which schemes are currently available; how many young people were employed under these schemes in 1978 and 1979; and how many he estimates will be employed in the current year.

[pursuant to his reply, 25 March 1980]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission—MSC—that schemes were available in 1978 and 1979 to insulate the homes of the elderly and the disabled under the MSC's youth opportunities programme, the special temporary employment programme and the community industry scheme. All of these programmes are currently available, although schemes under the special temporary employment programme can now be sponsored only in the special development areas, development areas and designated inner urban areas. In addition, during 1978, schemes to insulate the homes of the elderly and the disabled, were also mounted under the job creation programme.Information is not available on how many young people were engaged on these types of schemes in 1978 and 1979 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I understand, however, that MSC is proposing for its own management purposes to carry out an inquiry into the number of such schemes which are currently operating and the number of people who are participating in them.