Financial Resolutions, 1978: Financial Statement, Budget, 1978. - Job-creation—building and construction
Having regard to the importance for employment of the building and construction industry, the Government, inside two weeks of taking office, allocated additional funds for increased investment in roads and sanitary services, local improvement schemes and environmental works. Provision was also made for minor improvement works at vocational schools and for a start on the new Beaumont hospital. Expenditure recorded on these schemes by end-1977 amounted to £5 million and jobs realised amounted to 2,170—1,670 of these are direct jobs. When account is also taken of the massive boost to output and employment in the construction industry as a result of the increased SDA loan and income limits and the scheme of grants for first-time purchasers of new houses, total additional employment realised at end-1977 is estimated at 3,170 direct and indirect jobs.
The real impetus to construction activity in 1978 will, however, be provided by special allocations made for this purpose in the departmental Estimates published last week. A total of £43.2 million has been allocated for projects involving increased spending on building and construction with a direct job potential of almost 5,000. These include £12.6 million on educational and hospital building involving an additional 1,070 jobs; £11.5 million for increased spending by the IDA on factory building and site development which will provide extra jobs for 1,100 workers and £4.25 million on water supply and sewerage schemes involving a further 800 jobs.
Thus £48.2 million will be spent between 1977 and 1978 on creating more than 6,600 building and con struction jobs. These figures are in respect of direct job-creation and do not, therefore, include associated indirect employment to be provided in, for example, the building materials sector. Additionally, the increased SDA loan and income limits and new house grants schemes will generate about 1,500 direct and indirect jobs in a full year. In all, 1978 public capital expenditure allocations affecting the building and construction industry amount to £458 million—£86 million more than in 1977.