§ 13. Mr. Diamondasked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to prevent transitional unemployment extending beyond a few days among the employees of the Whitworth-Gloster Aircraft Company's factory at Gloucester, which is closing down.
§ Mr. GreenOur local officers are registering those affected before they are discharged and will do all they can to find them alternative employment as quickly as possible.
§ Mr. DiamondIn view of the Parliamentary Secretary's statement that his local officers will do all they can to find other employment for these people, may I ask him whether he is prepared to go further and encourage the employers concerned to delay giving redundancy notices until other employment has been found for them?
§ Mr. GreenWith respect to the hon. Gentleman, I think that this is a difficulty which is as broad as it is long. If there is delay in registering people who may be redundant, then we stand to be attacked because we have delayed registering them for work. Either way, there may be some small difficulties. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will bear in mind that the level of unemployment throughout the whole region is very low.
§ 14. Mr. Diamondasked the Minister of Labour how many vacancies existed in the Gloucester area at the latest available date in each of the following four categories, namely, skilled sheet-metal workers, skilled pattern makers, unskilled men over 55 years of age, and unskilled women over 45 years of age.
§ Mr. GreenOn 6th December, the Gloucester Employment Exchange held 15 unfilled vacancies for sheet-metal workers, but none for pattern makers. There were 66 vacancies for men and 14 for women for unskilled work, but these vacancies were not analysed by age groups.
§ Mr. DiamondIs it not absolutely clear from the figures that the Parliamentary Secretary has just given that there is no possibility whatsoever of there being adequate vacancies for those in these categories who are shortly to be declared redundant at the Whitworth-Gloucester Aircraft Company? Therefore, what steps is the hon. Gentleman prepared to take to reduce this transitional unemployment to the minimum?
§ Mr. GreenI do not think that what the hon. Gentleman said follows. He might like to have a few more figures. There were 1,510 unfilled vacancies for 921 men and 787 unfilled vacancies for women in Gloucester and the adjacent areas of Cheltenham, Stroud and the Forest of Dean at 6th December. In addition, there is a considerable number of jobs in prospect in the area. The local unemployment rate in Gloucester is 1.3 per cent., in Cheltenham 1.2 per cent., in Stroud .8 per cent., and in the Forest of Dean 1.9 per cent.