§ 15. Dr. Dickson Mabonasked the Minister of Labour the percentage rates of unemployment in the burghs of Greenock and Port Glasgow, respectively, at the most convenient date in November.
§ Mr. WoodA percentage rate of unemployment is available only for the Greenock and Port Glasgow area as a 1168 whole. At 17th November, 1958, the rate for this area was 8.4 per cent.
§ Dr. MabonDoes the Parliamentary Secretary agree that that confirms the continuing and progressive rise in unemployment during the last eighteen months in particular? Would he make representations to his colleagues in the Government, and to the First Lord of the Admiralty in particular, to prevent the transfer of the experimental establishment, thus adding 200 more men to the unemployment queue?
§ Mr. RobensHow many dockers would be unemployed, but not appearing in the Parliamentary Secretary's figures because they have special arrangements about signing on?
§ Mr. WoodI am afraid I have not any figures for dockers. They are in a special category, as the right hon. Gentleman knows. It is, no doubt, a matter of difference of opinion between us how far they can be said to be unemployed. I have not the figures.
§ Mr. WoodburnWould the hon. Gentleman call his right hon. Friend's attention—indeed, the whole Government's attention—to the fact that these experimental stations are one way in which the Government can direct industry to different parts of the country? The Greenock area is a very desirable place even for scientists to live, and might prove an attraction to move if they once got there.
§ 16. Dr. Dickson Mabonasked the Minister of Labour, for the most convenient date in November, the number of wholly unemployed persons on the registers of the Greenock Employment Exchange in respect of duration of unemployment.
§ Mr. WoodOn 17th November, 1958, 2,804 persons were registered as wholly unemployed at Greenock Employment Exchange. Of these 456 had been unemployed for less than two weeks, 777 for more than two but less than eight weeks, and 1,571 for more than eight weeks.
§ Dr. MabonWould the Parliamentary Secretary agree that this confirms the Government's complete inability to solve this problem, which has persisted for some two years now? Surely the Government must take much more vigorous steps than they have so far?
§ Mr. WoodThe hon. Gentleman, I think, knows what my right hon. Friends are trying to do in this area, and, as I promised in answer to his last supplementary question, I will bring to the First Lord's notice the suggestion the hon. Member made.