HC Deb 09 March 1964 vol 691 cc13-5
18. Mr. Montgomery

asked the Minister of Labour the number of Christmas school leavers who are still unemployed, and the number of Christmas school leavers who are now in employment, in the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Mr. Whitelaw

Out of 223 Christmas school leavers, 16 were still registered as unemployed on 10th February. Statistics are not available to show how many are now in employment but in the three months, December to February, a total of 252 young people entered first employment. Most of these were Christmas school leavers.

Mr. Montgomery

While thanking my hon. Friend for that reply and agreeing that the figures are much better than they were year ago, may I ask him to bear in mind that there is still great concern about young people being unemployed in the Newcastle area and that a lot of us feel that if there were better training facilities in the area for these young people this would be a step in the right direction? Has my hon. Friend's Ministry any plans for improving the training facilities in Newcastle?

Mr. Whitelaw

I agree with what my hon. Friend says. As to the prospects, unemployment among both boys and girls has fallen and the number of vacancies is increasing, so the position is certainly improving. With regard to training facilities, my hon. Friend will. I think, appreciate that they are quite considerable at the Government training centre at Felling, and also at the Government training centre at Tursdale.

31. Mr. Spriggs

asked the Minister of Labour how many school leavers, young people and adult workers were shown as temporarily and wholly unemployed in each year from 1951 to 1963, and up to the latest convenient date; and how unemployment benefit corresponded with the national average weekly wage over the same period.

Mr. Whitelaw

As the Answer consists of a table of figures, I will, with permission, publish it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Spriggs

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that it has been stated that the average weekly wage is about £16 per week? When a person loses his job through no fault of his own, the Government of the day expect that unemployed worker to exist on one-fifth of the average weekly wage. Is it not time that the subsistence scales were increased to bring them up to something like a basic national average wage?

Mr. Whitelaw

The hon. Gentleman should study the figures which I am circulating. He will appreciate that the level of benefit is a matter for my right

— Numbers registered as wholly unemployed and temporarily stopped in Great Britain Unemployment Benefit Rates Average gross weekly earnings Men aged 21 and over*
School-leavers Young Persons Adults Man Man and wife Man,† wife and two children
W.U. W.U. T.S. W.U. T.S.
£ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d.
1951 3,800 8,900 900 224,300 15,000 1 6 0 2 2 0 2 9 6 8 6 0
1952 6,300 13,300 4,900 309,100 80,700 1 12 6 2 14 0 3 7 0 8 18 6
1953 6,200 11,500 800 302,200 21,300 1 12 6 2 14 0 3 7 0 9 9 2
1954 5,700 10,300 600 255,600 12,600 1 12 6 2 14 0 3 7 0 10 4 5
1955 4,200 8,400 900 200,500 18,200 2 0 0 3 5 0 4 0 0 11 2 11
1956 3,700 8,500 1,000 217,400 26,400 2 0 0 3 5 0 4 0 0 11 17 11
1957 5,200 10,500 500 278,800 17,500 2 0 0 3 5 0 4 0 0 12 11 7
1958 8,300 16,400 2,200 385,400 45,100 2 10 0 4 0 0 5 2 0 12 16 8
1959 11,700 17,800 1,200 415,000 29,500 2 10 0 4 0 0 5 2 0 13 10 9
1960 8,600 13,000 400 324,100 14,300 2 10 0 4 0 0 5 2 0 14 10 8
1961 7,100 12,200 800 292,800 27,800 2 17 6 4 12 6 5 19 6 15 6 10
1962 13,100 21,900 1,200 396,900 30,100 2 17 6 4 12 6 5 19 6 15 17 3
1963 18,300 29,800 2,100 472,500 50,600 3 7 6 5 9 0 7 1 0 16 14 11
10th February, 1964 4,500 22,300 400 428,900 7,900
W.U. = wholly unemployed.
T.S. = temporarily stopped.
Unemployment figures (except February, 1964) are annual averages.
* Benefit and earnings figures relate to the position in October of each year.
† A man with a wife and two children also receives family allowances of 8s. per week (5s. per week up to 1st September, 1952).