HC Deb 21 October 1968 vol 770 cc858-61
5. Mr. Marten

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity in how many months in 1967 and 1968 the total of wholly unemployed, seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers, has been above 500,000.

25. Mr. Fletcher-Cooke

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity in how many months since April 1966, up to the latest available date, the monthly seasonally adjusted total of unemployed has exceeded 500,000.

Mr. Fernyhough

Seventeen, from May 1967, onwards.

Mr. Marten

In the light of that somewhat tragic commentary on Labour Party policy, I hope that the hon. Gentleman can answer simply two straighforward supplementary Questions. First, what is the level of unemployment which the Labour Party now regards as full employment in the light of its pledges? Secondly, when is it estimated that that will be achieved?

Mr. Fernyhough

The hon. Gentleman already has the information asked for in the first supplementary Question. He merely wanted to ask it again today because he thought it would cause political embarrassment. He has asked the same question three times this year. We are pledged to full employment consistent with a viable economy.

8. Sir G. Nabarro

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many people were registered wholly unemployed on 1st October, 1968 or the nearest convenient date; and how many had been wholly unemployed for the nine months ended on that date.

Mr. Fernyhough

At 9th September, 1968, there were 535,000 persons registered as wholly unemployed in Great Britain. Comprehensive duration analyses of the wholly unemployed are made quarterly and the latest available is for July. At 8th July, 505,000 persons were registered as wholly unemployed, and 114,000 has been on the register for more than nine months.

Sir G. Nabarro

Is it not evident from these figures that we are now suffering the highest sustained level of unemployment since the war? Is it the new policy of Her Majesty's Government to maintain a stagnant pool of unemployed to secure the viable economy to which the hon. Gentleman has just referred?

Mr. Fernyhough

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement put out last week by the Confederation of British Industry, which is now beginning to think in terms of a shortage of labour. We hope that we shall now make some inroads into this problem.

23. Mr. Kenneth Baker

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she has made an estimate of the level which unemployment is likely to reach this winter.

Mr. Fernyhough

Yes, but as my right hon. Friend has already said in the House, we are not prepared to give forecasts of the future level of unemployment.

Mr. Baker

The House will be perturbed that the Ministry is not prepared to make this forecast. Would not the hon. Gentleman agree that unemployment is likely to remain at the high level which has been attained already and that that level could have been reduced if the retraining facilities of the Ministry had been much greater? Even at this late stage, would the hon. Gentleman consider introducing a crash programme to increase the retraining facilities?

Mr. Fernyhough

On the last point, let me make it clear to the hon. Gentleman that the training facilities today, in four years since the Labour Government took office, are just double what they were after 13 years of Tory government and that by 1971 they will be trebled. I hope that as we increase the training facilities, involving additional public expenditure, we shall have no cries from hon. Members opposite about the increase in public expenditure.

Mr. Biffen

Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that in answer to Question No. 18 the Secretary of State said that arrangements were being made for much more detailed forward manpower requirement planning? If all this work is being undertaken, why cannot the hon. Gentleman give some indication of the expected trend in the labour market?

Mr. Fernyhough

If the hon. Gentleman can give me a forecast of what the weather will be like between now and April, I could probably give him a better forecast of what unemployment there will be.

Mr. R. Carr

The Government must be clear about this matter. If greater attempts are to be made to plan manpower in advance, is it not essential that the estimate should be given? Is it not a fact that the Prime Minister gave an estimate at the time of devaluation?

Mr. Fernyhough

I have been a Member of the House for longer than the right hon. Gentleman, and I cannot remember a Minister of his party being prepared to give the information which the Opposition are trying to extract from us now.

Mr. Marten

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, and of the reply to my Question, I beg to give notice that I wish to raise the matter on the Adjournment.