§ 26. Miss Burtonasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the anxiety in Coventry concerning the duration of unemployment, both male and female, and that the figures for the quarters ending June and September were 244 and 332 men, and 63 and 86 women, respectively, out of work for more than six months; and if he will give the corresponding figures for the quarter ending December last and such information up to a later date, as may be available.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodYes. The corresponding figures on 8th December, 1958, were, 421 men and 103 women. I regret that comparable information is not yet available for a later date.
§ Miss BurtonIs the Minister aware how very disturbed we are about this position? Is he aware that if we go back over all the preceding four quarters, it will be seen that the number has increased each time? Does he envisage a comparable increase in the figures due this month, and has he any steps to propose for dealing with this hard core of unemployed?
§ Mr. MacleodIt is natural that the figures for the December quarter should be higher Chan those for the September quarter, and that those should be higher than for the June quarter. What the pattern of employment and unemployment will be in those quarters of this year, I do not pretend to know. It remains true that not only is the Coventry figure on the whole low, but that within it, the levels of duration of employment generally compare very favourably with those over the whole country.