asked the Minister of Labour what proportion of his youth employment offices in Scotland reported difficulties in the placing of boys in suitable employment; and what advice he gave to those so reporting.

asked the Minister of Labour what proportion of his youth employment offices in Scotland reported difficulties in placing girls in suitable employment; and what advice he gave to those so reporting.

All youth employment offices in Scotland report regularly on the employment situation. Where there are particular difficulties in a specific area we are, of course, kept informed. In general, more difficulties have been reported in placing boys than girls. The position is kept under regular review by me and by my Scottish Youth Employment Advisory Committee.

What does the right hon. Gentleman mean by"kept under regular review", because the situation in regard to young people is getting worse and worse while the Government, according to the latest Report of the Estimates Committee on the Local Employment Act, are doing less and less? What does the right hon. Gentleman propose to do about it?

Of course, we want to do more, but I think that the hon. Member will agree that this matter must be kept in perspective. To say that the Government are doing nothing, which is what his remarks implied, is absolutely unfair. The hon. Member should know that out of 16,302 Easter school leavens the number of those unemployed has been reduced to 549. Our object is to get those 549 boys and girls into employment.

Will the right hon. Gentleman come to Scotland and see for himself?

In view of what has been said by my hon. Friends about unemployment generally in Scotland, particularly the remarks of my hon. Friend the Member far Lanarkshire, North (Miss Herbison) and my hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy (Mr. Gourlay) about young girls being forced to leave their homes and seek work elsewhere, providing a constant worry to their parents, has the right hon. Gentleman nothing to say about what is to be done to reverse this trend and create more jobs in Scotland?

I cannot say more at the moment than I have already said to the hon. Member and his hon. Friends. The Government have embarked on a considerable programme of expansion and this will help towards solving the unemployment problem, which worries me as well as the hon. Member.

Is the Minister aware that his replies to my hon. Friends would be more convincing if it were not for the fact that for the first quarter of this year more industrial development certificates were issued for the Midlands than for the whole of Scotland? What is he doing to discuss this matter with the President of the Board of Trade in an effort to get this trend reversed?

This matter has certainly been brought to the attention of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. He will do all he can to further the policies of Her Majesty's Government to provide more employment in areas of high unemployment.