§ 20. Mr. Chapmanasked the Minister of Labour how many unemployed were registered in the Birmingham area at the latest convenient date; and to what extent this figure shows a change over the last 12 months.
§ Mr. WatkinsonEight thousand eight hundred and forty-seven at 12th January, 1953, compared with 3,390 at 14th January, 1952.
§ Mr. ChapmanIs the Minister aware that that is not the whole picture in Birmingham? In addition to a considerable rise in unemployment, which is at an increased rate at the moment, there is an enormous amount of short-time working, there being a four-day week in many factories. Will the hon. Gentleman say what prospects he holds out for that area, or what his Department expects in that area?
§ Mr. WatkinsonTo answer the first part of the supplementary question, the hon. Gentleman might like to know that I have a weekly report from the whole of the Birmingham area and am versed not only in the unemployment figures but in every kind of short-time working, possible redundancy, and everything else. The present level of unemployment in the Birmingham area—I am not minimising the problem in any way, but am merely trying to keep it in proportion—is still only 1.4 per cent. of the total number of employees in the area, which is well below the national average. I am not trying to ride off on that; that happens to be the figure. As to future plans, these are primarily for other right hon. Friends of mine, but the Government as a whole are keeping the matter closely under review, as I have indicated, and we are doing whatever we can within the framework of our economic policy to meet the difficulties.