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1. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government's report for the period ending July 1996. It appreciates the statistics on employment service activity and requests the Government to continue to supply such information. Please indicate also the measures taken or contemplated to collect and analyse the fullest possible data on employment, unemployment and the various types of underemployment (see under Article 2 of the Convention on the report form adopted by the Governing Body).

2. The Committee notes that the report mentions a number of national and regional programmes for job creation, training and social protection for the unemployed. It requests the Government to supply in its next report detailed information on the application of these measures and an assessment of their results.

3. The Committee notes that fewer than half of the unemployed persons who received vocational training in 1996 have been found jobs by the employment service. It requests the Government to indicate the measures envisaged in order better to coordinate training policy with employment opportunities and to ensure that the employment service is associated in the articulation and implementation of employment policy (see under Article 1 of the report form).

4. The Committee recalls its interest in any information allowing it to assess how the employment policy falls "within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy" (Article 2 of the Convention). It would be grateful if the Government would supply the information required by the report form on the main thrust of the general economic policy and its contribution to the promotion of full, productive and freely chosen employment as a major goal (Article 1).

5. Article 3. With reference to its previous requests, the Committee asks the Government once again to describe the measures taken in order to ensure the consultation of representatives of all the persons concerned by employment policy measures, and particularly the representatives of employers and workers.