§ 49. Miss Burtonasked the Minister of Labour if he will give the numbers of unemployed men and women, respectively, who have been on the registers of the Coventry Employment Exchange for over six months at the latest convenient date in March last.
§ Miss BurtonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, amid all the glowing pictures of the employment situation which we get, this matter presents a very real problem to the people of Coventry? Despite what he has just said, does he realise that the number of men unemployed for more than six months has steadily increased since 9th December, 1957, the figure given today being the same as three months ago, while the number of women has steadily increased? What steps does he propose to take to deal with the situation?
Mr. MacleodIt is true that in a period in which there has been a difficult unemployment situation the number of those unemployed over any given length of time is bound to have increased. Not only is the general employment situation in Coventry a good deal more favourable than in the rest of the country, but, as the lion. Lady knows, the March unemployment figure was 1.8 per cent. But even in the case of those unemployed for over six months, both men and women, the position in Coventry is more favourable.