§ 17. Mr. Liptonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men, women and juveniles are registered as unemployed at the Brixton employment exchange; and what were the corresponding figures last year.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithThe figures were 3,421 men, 572 women, 133 boys, and 48 girls in October, 1972, and 3,204 men, 461 women, 95 boys, and 47 girls a year earlier.
§ Mr. LiptonWill the Minister scrap the footnotes that he has about possible supplementaries and just tell us what inference he draws, after, no doubt, careful study of the figures by him and his advisers?
§ Mr. SmithThe inference that I draw is that unemployment in Brixton has increased since this time last year, but that there has been a welcome reduction of 300 since September. I think that the redevelopment of the hon. Gentleman's borough centre has had something to do with the loss of jobs, although in due course it should provide further employment opportunities. The position in London generally is very good.