HC Deb 17 December 1962 vol 669 cc889-90
71. Mr. Prentice

asked the Minister of Labour if he will introduce a system of calculating the total figure of unemployed from a direct survey, in view of the failure of the present system to record the number of non-registered unemployed and the consequential under-estimation of unemployment in official statistics.

Mr. Whitelaw

No, Sir. The direct sample survey is very costly and is subject to sampling errors. Our examination of suggestions of this nature has always confirmed us in the view that the present system of counting the number of persons registered as seeking work on a particular day is the best practicable method of measuring unemployment in this country.

Mr. Prentice

Has not the Parliamentary Secretary seen a recent study in Washington comparing the American methods of assessing unemployment and ours? Is he aware that it confirms that a very large number of people who are unemployed do not register? If the American methods were employed in relation to our situation, would they not show a total of over 200,000 more unemployed than our figures now indicate?

Mr. Whitelaw

I would not like to accept those figures. All I would say about the United States method is that it is certainly extremely costly and is also subject to appreciable sampling errors.

Mr. Callaghan

If there is a possibility of a difference of 50 per cent. between the figures revealed by the Ministry's present methods and the new system used in the United States, does not the Minister think that he should make some inquiries? Would it not be quite intolerable if our unemployment figure were ¾ million and the Government were acting on the assumption that it was ½million?

Mr. Whitelaw

I was merely indicating that I was not accepting what the hon. Member's hon. Friend said about the American sampling.

Mr. Callaghan

But does the Parliamentary Secretary deny it?

Dr. Bray

Has the Parliamentary Secretary any idea of the number who are below the level of the skills to which they have been trained? Can he possibly find out that information without a survey?

Mr. Whitelaw

I could not possibly give those figures, and the hon. Member will appreciate that it would be extremely costly to obtain them.

Mr. Callaghan

Why not take a sample and find out? If the Parliamentary Secretary says that he does not confirm it, I can understand that because he does not have the information, bust why not take a control sample and see whether the Ministry's statistics are accurate or not?

Mr. Whitelaw

I said that I did not accept it, and I adhere to that.

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