HC Deb 20 December 1962 vol 669 cc1414-5
2. Mr. Ginsburg

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the number of jobs in prospect for the Dewsbury employment exchange area.

Mr. Erroll

About 40 jobs are known to be in prospect in Dewsbury from firms which have had industrial development certificates. I have no information of the number of jobs likely to be provided by firms which do not need new industrial building.

Mr. Ginsburg

This is a profoundly unsatisfactory state of affairs. Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that unemployment in the Dewsbury area has doubled in two years? Also, is there not a lot of concealed unemployment especially among unmarried women? Since it has been generally recognised that the heavy woollen industry has special problems—I think that the right hon. Gentleman's predecessor but one recognised this fact—will he at least undertake to study during the Recess some of the economic problems of the area?

Mr. Erroll

I know that there are certain special problems in the area, particularly the absence of diversification, but unemployment in Dewsbury in December this year was 2 per cent.—below the national average—totalling 622 people, while there are nearly 500 industrial jobs in prospect in the surrounding employment exchange areas within travel-to-work distance.

Mr. Ginsburg

Will the right hon. Gentleman reply to the last part of my supplementary question? Will he consider studying the problems of the area, particularly the problem of concealed unemployment, during the next few weeks?

Mr. Erroll

I will certainly look into the matter.