asked the Paymaster General what Manpower Services Commission funds have been hitherto specifically earmarked for training in information technology; whether there are any plans to increase the sums made available for such training; and if he will make a statement.
The Government have asked the Manpower Services Commission to give priority to training in the new technologies including information technology. The commission has specifically allocated some £37 million in 1985–86 for training in information technology. This includes training through information technology centres, the threshold computer scheme,
| Age and Duration Analysis of the Unemployed for Statistical Date 10 October 1985 Parliamentary Constituencies AD | ||||||||||||||
| Northern Copeland CC | ||||||||||||||
| Males | ||||||||||||||
| Duration of Unemployment in weeks | Under 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20–24 | 25–29 | 30–34 | 35–39 | 40–44 | 45–49 | 50–54 | 55–59 | 60 and over | Total |
| One or less | 1 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 77 |
| Over 1 and up to 2 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 76 |
| Over 2 and up to 4 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 32 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 115 |
| Over 4 and up to 6 | 38 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 140 |
| Over 6 and up to 8 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 98 |
| Over 8 and up to 13 | 4 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 53 | 31 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 236 |
| Over 13 and up to 26 | 12 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 114 | 46 | 29 | 14 | 22 | 21 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 372 |
| Over 26 and up to 39 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 19 | 51 | 20 | 23 | 11 | 20 | 8 | 15 | 20 | 7 | 215 |
| Over 39 and up to 52 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 47 | 38 | 20 | 21 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 8 | 205 |
| Over 52 and up to 65 | 0 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 36 | 32 | 25 | 30 | 22 | 28 | 70 | 41 | 3 | 320 |
| Over 65 and up to 78 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 27 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 24 | 0 | 112 |
| Over 78 and up to 104 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 24 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 25 | 0 | 144 |
| Over 104 and up to 156 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 44 | 33 | 24 | 21 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 45 | 1 | 237 |
| Over 156 and up to 208 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 35 | 29 | 17 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 26 | 0 | 193 |
| Over 208 and up to 260 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 20 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 1 | 108 |
| Over 260 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 28 | 22 | 24 | 18 | 14 | 21 | 34 | 0 | 181 |
| Grand totals Males | 81 | 111 | 120 | 138 | 582 | 376 | 262 | 227 | 192 | 171 | 222 | 291 | 56 | 2,825 |
| Females | ||||||||||||||
| Duration of Unemployment in weeks | Under 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20–24 | 25–29 | 30–34 | 35–39 | 40–44 | 45–49 | 50–54 | 55–59 | 60 and over | Total |
| One or less | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
| Over 1 and up to 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52 |
| Over 2 and up to 4 | 5 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 79 |
| Over 4 and up to 6 | 9 | 14 | 21 | 6 | 20 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 117 |
| Over 6 and up to 8 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 68 |
| Over 8 and up to 13 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 37 | 24 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 130 |
| Over 13 and up to 26 | 2 | 17 | 8 | 10 | 80 | 46 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 226 |
| Over 26 and up to 39 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 43 | 45 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 169 |
| Over 39 and up to 52 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 35 | 34 | 19 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 136 |
| Over 52 and up to 65 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 9 | 28 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 104 |
| Over 65 and up to 78 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 51 |
| Over 78 and up to 104 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 67 |
| Over 104 and up to 156 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 68 |
| Over 156 and up to 208 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 48 |
| Over 208 and up to 260 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 36 |
priority skills training and access to information technology. In addition the youth training scheme includes an introduction to information technology in all its programmes and priority is given in adult training schemes to the new technologies.