HC Deb 03 May 1955 vol 540 cc1486-8
11. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the figures relating to the unemployment of men and women, respectively, in the City of Aberdeen show that they were greater in February, this year than at 31st; December, 1953, or 31st December, 1954; if he will make a statement indicating the cause of this rise; what the figures are in each trade to the latest convenient date; and what steps he is taking to reduce this unemployment.

Mr. Watkinson

Yes, Sir. There was the usual seasonal increase after December in Aberdeen as elsewhere in the country, and it is now giving place to the usual improvement. I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table of the numbers unemployed in each of the main industries in Aberdeen for the months of February, April and December of 1953 and 1954, and February and April of this year, from which the hon. and learned Member will see that the February, 1955, figure is lower than the corresponding figures for 1954 and 1953.

Mr. Hughes

May I congratulate the Minister on giving a factual rather than a propagandist answer—unlike his predecessor—to this Question, and may I ask how much of the diminution in employment in Aberdeen is due to the restrictions which this Government placed on raw materials for the industries in Aberdeen?

Mr. Watkinson

That is another question. I think the hon. and learned Member had better look at the vast table of figures which I have got for him.

Mr. Hamilton

Is the Minister aware that this cannot be fobbed off as a seasonal increase? Is he aware that the monthly average unemployment in Scotland over the last three years has been about 4,500 more than in the last three years of the Labour Government?

Mr. Watkinson

I did not fob it off as a seasonal increase, but every hon. Member knows that unemployment is higher in the winter than in the summer.

Following is the table:

NUMBERS OF PERSONS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED IN ABERDEEN
Industry 1953 1954 1955
February April December February April December February April
M. F. Total M. F. Total M. F. Total M. F. Total M. F. Total M. F. Total M. F. Total M. F. Total
Agriculture, horticulture and forestry 121 25 146 107 12 119 139 27 166 144 20 164 113 11 124 108 14 122 132 15 147 90 999
Fishing 292 — 292 219 — 219 186 — 186 200 1 201 155 — 155 159 1 160 178 1 179 135 — 135
Shipbuilding and ship-repairing 159 — 159 64 2 66 49 1 50 67 1 68 62 1 63 26 —26 58 — 58 45 1 46
Non-electrical engineering 65 4 69 51 1 52 53 1 54 643 67 45 4 49 41 3 44 56 3 59 37 4 41
Food industries 106 92 198 75 92 167 95 75 170 87 94 181 8094 174 61 88 149 76 83 159 53 80 133
Wood and cork manufactures, furniture, etc. 154 17 171 99 12 111 132 7 139 173 21 194 118 20 138 107 16 123 133 24 157 107 21 128
Building and civil engineering contracting 440 1 441 237 1 238 278 4 282 424 2 426 204 5 209 205 3 208 350 3 353 161 5 166
Road transport 54 6 60 41 5 46 43 4 47 61 4 65 49 11 60 38 9 47 52 9 61 39 7 46
Sea transport 133 1 134 78 1 79 92 — 92 85 — 85 68 1 69 71 — 71 79 2 81 62 — 62
Distributive trades 198 173 371 183 165 348 172 125 297 194 192 386 203 178 381 201 142 343 265 181 446 209 165 374
National government service 31 16 47 32 5 37 24 21 45 29 23 52 27 17 44 19 14 33 20 21 41 18 16 34
Local government service 107 21 128 104 21 125 96 17 113 113 24 137 90 23 113 96 26 122 93 21 114 66 19 85
Professional services 36 63 99 36 55 91 33 59 92 38 58 9642 54 96 38 41 79 31 54 85 28 49 77
Sport, other recreations and betting 72 18 90 64 12 76 66 7 73 80 6 86 56 7 63 78 9 87 93 13 106 55 8 63
Catering, hotels, etc. 95 123 218 62 115 177 89 109 198 91 111 202 73 129 202 64 111 175 73 129 202 49 110 159
All other industries and services 546 333 879 457 285 742 454 240 694 507 264 771 454 256 710 356 213 569 438 257 695 336 228 564
2,609 893 3,502 1,909 784 2,693 2,001 697 2,698 2,357 824 3,181 1,839 811 2,650 1,668 690 2,358 2,127 816 2,943 1,490 722 2,212