HC Deb 24 February 1960 vol 618 cc351-2
12. Mr. Grey

asked the Minister of Labour the various classifications of the insured industrial population in the northern region in 1951, and for each year to date.

Mr. Heath

As the tables required are lengthy, I will, if may, send them to the hon. Member.

Mr. Grey

Will the right hon. Gentleman indicate what the trends are? For instance, can he say whether there are more people leaving the North-East in search of jobs? If there are more people leaving the North-East in search of jobs, will he bring strong pressure to bear upon his right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to bring industries to the North-East, thereby stopping the drift of the population away from the area?

Mr. Heath

If the hon. Gentleman will look at the voluminous, lengthy and weighty tables he will find all the information he requires. In answer to his general question, the growth in the insured employee population in the northern region was 5 per cent., and for Great Britain as a whole it was 5.1 per cent., so they are roughly comparable.