§ 5. Mr. Carterasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure of unemployment for Birmingham.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithOn 8th January there were 23,827 people unemployed in the Birmingham travel-to-work area and the rate of unemployment was 3.7 per cent. The figures are provisional.
§ Mr. Carteris the hon. Gentleman aware that that is a disgraceful reply, coming as it does one month after he told me, in a similar answer on an earlier occasion, that I was being too gloomy about unemployment in Birmingham? Is he further aware that over the past month unemployment rose by over 700 and among that total there are still 1,000 boys and girls in Birmingham who have yet to start their first jobs?
§ Mr. SmithThere was an increase. but that is expected at this time of the year whatever the conditions. I still think that the hon. Gentleman is being gloomy, because between January 1972 and this month unemployment fell by nearly a fifth in the Birmingham travel-to-work area, largely through a reduction in male unemployment. Notified vacancies for the same period are 90 per cent. higher than they were. This is a fairly good and improving position.
§ Mr. Sydney ChapmanDoes the Minister agree that although the figure is of concern it is a welcome drop compared with the figure of 28,500 or 4.4 per cent. unemployed in Birmingham 13 months ago? Will he also look at a problem that is causing increasing concern in the area, namely, the level of unemployment among young coloured people? Will he give this matter his personal attention, because it has serious social consequences?
§ Mr. SmithI assure my hon. Friend that we are not complacent in any way about the figure; it is still too high, but the trend is in the right direction. The problem of young coloured workers does not apply only to Birmingham, but is a problem in other areas. We are looking at the problem and there are no easy solutions, but I hope that through the Department and other agencies we shall be able to improve the situation in due course.