§ The following Question stood upon the Order Paper:
§ Q5. Mr. Blakerasked the Prime Minister if he will make a further statement about the rates of unemployment in the Blackpool area in January, 1963, 1964 and 1970, respectively.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe Prime Minister, to answer Question Q5.
§ Sir F. BennettThat will be a change.
§ The Prime MinisterIt would be a change if I did not get a great number of irrelevant supplementary questions from the Leader of the Opposition.
I am grateful to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker) for giving me the opportunity to amend the figures I gave on 17th February. For the Blackpool travel-to-work area the figures for total registered unemployed were 6.1 per cent. in January, 1963, 5.2 per cent. in January, 1964 and 5.3 per cent. in January 1970. The figures for wholly unemployed for these months were 5.6 per cent., 5.1 per cent. and 5.1 per cent.—[Vol. 796, c. 206–9.]
§ Mr. BlakerI am grateful to the Prime Minister for making that correction.
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman was good enough to write to me immediately afterwards. As he knows, the figures which I gave were the figures supplied to me. However, I take responsibility for the answer, and as soon as I saw his very authoritative comment——
§ Sir W. Bromley-DavenportCogent.
§ The Prime MinisterCogent, yes. The hon. Gentleman had done his homework. That is what I am saying. I wrote to him saying that I accepted his point, that he was free to use my letter at the time, and that perhaps he would, in consulation with me, put down a Question, when I would be happy to give the accurate figures in the House. I am grateful to him for drawing this to my attention.