Employment Subsidies Act 1978

1 Schemes for financing employment.

(1) The Secretary of State may, if in his opinion unemployment in Great Britain continues at a high level and with Treasury approval set up schemes for making payments to employers which will enable them to retain persons in employment who would or might otherwise become unemployed, to take on new employees, and generally to maintain or enlarge their labour force.

(2) In Northern Ireland the Department of Manpower Services may, if in its opinion unemployment in Northern Ireland continues at a high level, with the approval of the Department of Finance set up schemes for making such payments to employers as are referred to in subsection (1).

(3) Before setting up any such scheme, the Secretary of State and the Northern Ireland Department shall consult with such organisations, including those representing employers and workers respectively, as are considered appropriate.