HC Deb 19 March 1970 vol 798 cc598-600
29. Mr. Maclennan

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will make a statement on the current employment situation in Caithness and Sutherland with particular reference to the age and sex distribution of the unemployed.

The Minister of State, Department of Employment and Productivity (Mr. Edmund Dell)

On 9th March, 1970, there was a total of 1,400 persons—1,051 males, 349 females—registered as unemployed at the Thurso and Wick Employment Exchanges, including 131 temporarily stopped, and the unemployment rate was 10.6 per cent. These figures are provisional.

Details of the age and sex distribution of those registered as wholly unemployed at the Thurso and Wick Employment Exchanges on 12th January, 1970, the latest date for which figures are available, are given in a table which, with permission, I will circulate in the OFFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Maclennan

I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. Would he accept that these are unacceptably high figures of unemployment? Would he pay particular attention to the position of school-leavers in' this area and to the need to provide them with work in the manufacturing industries?

Mr. Dell

I agree with my hon. Friend that these figures are too high. This is the reason, of course, for the work of the Highlands and Islands Development Board and development area assistance. I will bear in mind his point about school-leavers.

Following is the information:

AGE ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBERS REGISTERED AS WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED AT THE THURSO AND WICK EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES ON 12TH JANUARY, 1970
Males Females Total
Under 18 … 52 71 123
18 and under 20 … 53 45 98
20 and under 25 … 112 75 187
25 and under 30 … 84 32 116
30 and under 35 … 78 20 98
35 and under 40 … 114 22 136
40 and under 45 … 75 13 88
45 and under 50 … 69 21 90
50 and under 55 … 73 18 91
55 and under 60 … 100 31 131
60 and under 65 … 128 — 136
65 and over … 4 4
Total … 942 352 1,294

30. Mr. Maclennan

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will state the numbers of those employed in agriculture, fishing and forestry in Caithness and Sutherland in each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Dell

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

Mr. Maclennan

If, as I suspect, those figures show a marked decline in employment in these sectors, can my right hon. Friend give an assurance that he will resist any demands, from the Opposition particularly, to remove the regional employment premium, which is so important in strengthening the manufacturing sector in this area? Would he further assure us that the Government will not remove any of the present investment incentives or grants which are operative in this area? Great uncertainty has been created by the statements of hon. Members opposite about that.

Mr. Dell

As my hon. Friend suspects, the figures show a considerable reduce- tion in employment in these areas. It is the Government's intention to maintain investment incentives and development area aid in areas such as this.

Mr. R. Carr

Will the right hon. Gentleman explain why, before the days of R.E.P., the position was so much better?

Mr. Dell

In this area, as in so many others, there has been a fall in employment in a traditional industry. The Opposition have not yet explained what they mean by phasing out the regional employment premium, whether they will abolish it before the date to which it is pledged, or, indeed, what are their development aids generally. The sooner these points are clear the sooner many hon. Members representing development area constituencies will have a clear idea of what to expect should hon. Gentlemen opposite win the election.

Following is the information:

Estimated numbers of employees in employment in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (Order I of the Standard Industrial Classification) in Caithness and Sutherland.
June, 1959 … … … 1,800
June, 1960 … … … 1,800
June, 1961 … … … 1,700
June, 1962 … … … 1,800
June, 1963 … … … 1,800
June, 1964 … … … 1,900
June, 1965 … … … 1,700
June, 1966 … … … 1,700
June, 1967 … … … 1,500
June, 1968 … … … 1,400

Estimates for June 1969 for Caithness and Sutherland should become available during the next month or two, probably in May.