HC Deb 21 December 1976 vol 923 cc450-1
12. Mr. Hoyle

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what survey his Department has carried out on employment trends in North-East Lancashire.

Mr. Golding

My Department has not carried out any special survey of employment trends in North-East Lancashire. However, the annual census of employment provides regular information on the numbers employed, analysed by industry, for each local employment office area.

Mr. Hoyle

Will my hon. Friend please bear in mind that one of the problems in North-East Lancashire is depopulation through lack of white-collar jobs? Does he realise that this lack of jobs means that many of the young people have to look elsewhere for work? What steps are being taken to increase white-collar employment in the area?

Mr. Golding

I was very surprised to learn during the briefing for this Question that textile jobs now take second place in to number the professional and scientific jobs in North-East Lancashire.

Mr. Fletcher-Cooke

Does the Minister realise that North-East Lancashire has had no benefit from the dispersal of Government offices and that it is about that, I think, that the hon. Member, and certainly I are asking?

Mr. Golding

My hon. Friend the Member for Burnley (Mr. Jones) has certainly brought this factor to the attention of Ministers on many occasions. It is for that reason that I welcome the meeting between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry, my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley and the North-East Lancashire group of MPs on 18th January to discuss the whole employment situation.