§ 28. Mr. Rossasked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of registered unemployed in Ayrshire at the latest available date; and how this compares with the previous month.
§ Mr. HeathSix thousand, three hundred and forty-one at 12th October, compared with 5,276 at 14th September.
§ Mr. RossThat means, doing the arithmetic fairly quickly, an increase of over 1,000 a month. Does not this make a mockery of the phrase in the Gracious Speech that the Government will maintain full employment? What will the Minister do about this situation which has been developing over the years in Ayrshire?
§ Mr. HeathThe hon. Gentleman's calculation is correct. It is about 1,100. Of those, 475 were wholly unemployed and about 700 were temporarily stopped on the day on which the count was taken. Therefore, perhaps that overall figure is not quite so serious as it appears at first sight. I fully appreciate the difficulty of that position. As to making a mockery of maintaining full employment, as far as the country as a whole is concerned, it depends on one's definition of "full employment". This is a part of the country in which unemployment has been persistently high and that is why it has been made a D.A.T.A.C. area in order to attract assistance.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesIs the Minister aware that these figures will be increased as a result of the policy to reduce coal exports from Ayr to Northern Ireland? Will he look at this matter in advance so that he can stop these figures being increased still further?
§ Mr. HeathNaturally, I am interested in anything which affects employment in particular areas. As regards exports, perhaps the hon. Gentleman will table a Question to the Minister of Power.
§ Mr. RossWill the Minister take action quickly with the President of the Board of Trade and, if he thinks it worth while, with the Secretary of State for Scotland to try to secure action quickly?
§ Mr. HeathI understand that the hon. Gentleman has a Question down for the President of the Board of Trade tomorrow, and he will therefore be able to ask him about the future of this area.