§ 14. Mr. Edwin Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the numbers of registered unemployed at the Mexborough and District Employment Exchange at the latest available date.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkAt 10th April the provisional number of people registered as unemployed in the area covered by the Mexborough Employment Exchange was 2,093.
§ Mr. WainwrightDoes the hon. Gentleman agree that those figures are quite deplorable? Is not he aware that there 185 is a heavy cloud of gloom hanging over my constituency? Is not he aware, further, that those who are unemployed are becoming very despondent and that those who are in jobs are in daily fear that they will lose them? Will his right hon. Friend consult the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry with a view to making sure that this part of Yorkshire is designated a special development area?
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkI take note of what the hon. Gentleman said. I share his concern about the present high rate of unemployment in his area, particularly for males. But at least there has been some increase in the number of vacancies notified recently. A good deal of unemployment has resulted from redundancies in British Domestic Appliances in the last few months, and here is an illustration of what the Department is trying to do. Job teams from the Department have visited the firm to make advance registrations and to give every possible help in finding new jobs.