HC Deb 22 April 1975 vol 890 cc1229-30
12. Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest unemployment rates for men in the Caernarvon, Pwllheli and Porthmadog employment areas, respectively.

Mr. John Fraser

At 10th March, the rates of unemployment for males were 11.7 per cent. in the Caernarvon travel-to-work area and 10.4 per cent. in the Pwllheli travel-to-work area, which includes Porthmadog.

Mr. Wigley

Is the hon. Gentleman aware how disgraceful those figures are and how much they will be worsened by the Chancellor's Budget, which will lead directly to more redundancies in my constituency? Is he aware that that rate of unemployment, if it applied throughout the whole of the kingdom, would lead to a revolution? What will the Government do about this, and when will they do it?

Mr. Fraser

I respond to the hon. Gentleman by saying that the Government have done a great deal for North-West Wales. The Government made it a special development area. They have doubled the regional employment premium. They have tightened up the operation of industrial development certificates and there are further jobs in prospect in the area which come from the Dinorwic pumped water scheme. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will recognise that this Government have done rather more than their predecessors in this part of Wales.

Sir A. Meyer

What have the Government done in North-East Wales, which has a comparable rate of unemployment?

Mr. Fraser

I suggest that the hon. Gentleman tables a Question about that.