§ 18. Mr. Ridleyasked the Minister of Labour how many persons per thousand of the insured population are currently unemployed in the United Kingdom and in the European Economic Community, respectively.
§ Mr. HareOn 9th April, 1962, for every thousand employees in the United Kingdom, 21 were registered as unemployed. I am afraid that exact comparisons cannot be made between the United Kingdom and the European Economic Community, owing to variations in the form and content of national statistics. I will write to my hon. Friend and let him have such information as is available.
§ Mr. RidleyWould not my right hon. Friend agree that the Common Market countries have effectively solved their unemployment problem, and is he satisfied that if we were to join the Common Market there will not be floods of people coming here seeking jobs?
§ Mr. HareI think that what my hon. Friend has said is true. There is little doubt that unemployment in France, West Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg is low. In Belgium the rate is rather higher, and in Italy substantially so, although it is falling. In Italy, however, there is for the first time a real shortage of skilled labour.
§ Mr. GunterInstead of writing to the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley), will the right hon. Gentleman publish the figures in HANSARD?
§ Mr. HareBecause of the different ways in which these statistics are compiled, it is difficult to obtain proper comparisons. I will not make a promise now, but I will discuss the matter with the hon. Member for Southwark (Mr. Gunter) and also write to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. JegerWould not the right hon. Gentleman agree that, whether we join 15 the Common Market or not, there is great need for an expansionist industrial policy in this country?