XN000022-1995-07-17 — Page 2

Transcript of the Financial Secretary's media session

The following is a transcript of a question-and-answer session with the press given by the Financial Secretary, Sir Hamish Macleod, after the Community Chest's Employee Contribution Programme Award Presentation Ceremony today (Monday):

FS: Hi. Well, we have just been, really, alerting the public to 'Dress Casual Day' coming up on 8 September, if I could just get that recorded - Community Chest Fund- raising. But you want to talk about something else, yes?

Question: The unemployment situation.

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FS: Yes. As we've said, I think, a number of times as these figures have come out, we mustn't get too excited either way and I would say this if the figure also went down slightly- about fluctuations from month to month, fairly small fluctuations. But of course, that said, it is disappointing that the trend on those latest figures is still slightly

up.

As we've said before, we really need to have much better knowledge of what lies behind those figures, both in terms of the unemployed and in terms of the vacancies. And that we are working on, so that is in hand. But meanwhile, as I say, I think clearly, if you look back to some months ago when we got rather used to a figure of around 2 per cent there is cause for some concern. But let's see how we do.

As you know, we are also giving extra effort in trying to match up the unemployed with the vacancies. That seems to be the most practical and quick way of trying to help with the situation.

Any other questions on that?

Question: So what measures are you taking ... (inaudible)?

FS: I'm not here, obviously, to announce any new measures. This is just another month's figures which have come out in the normal way.

Question: Will they go up?

FS: Will next month's go up? Will the next lot of figures? I have no idea whether they will go up. I hope they won't. But as I say, we mustn't get too excited one way or the other on actually, it is a minor fluctuation, it's 0.2 per cent. But that said, I think we've said rather a lot about the measures which are being taken by, basically, the Secretary for Education and Manpower. Thank you very much.

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End/Monday, July 17, 1995