§ 47. Mr. McKayasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that his Department's Special Press Notice on Unemployment for mid-March, 1963, states that the number of unemployed was 701,930, equal to 3.1 per cent., and that in the northern region the figure is 60 per cent.; and what action he has taken this month.
§ Mr. HareI am, of course, well aware of the figures. As the hon. Member knows, a series of measures have already been and will continue to be taken by the Government to reduce unemployment both in the Northern Region and in the rest of the country.
§ Mr. McKayIs the Minister aware that if a figure of 6 per cent, prevailed 32 throughout the country there would be about 1½ million unemployed, and that the situation in the North-East must, of necessity, be very bad? One wonders how it is that after there being for a fair length of time a special representative in the North, things are not getting any better but are getting worse. What does he intend to do about the new representative he has put there?
§ Mr. HareThe situation in the North-East is, of course, very serious. I am glad to see, however, that last month's unemployment figures there were rather better than those for February. That does not mean that there is not a grave situation there which the Government are determined to improve. A great deal is being done. As hon. Members have the information, I will not enumerate the large number of special measures that have already been taken to give special priority to the North-East and to other areas of very heavy unemployment.