Unemployment (Statistics) (Hansard, 6 November 1979)

§ 14. Mr. Straw
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest rates of unemployment for the North-West and for the United Kingdom.

§ Mr. Jim Lester
On 11 October the unemployment rates in the North-West region and in the United Kingdom were 7.1 and 5.7 per cent, respectively.

§ Mr. Straw
Is the Minister aware that, as a result of the crazy and damaging economic policies which the Government 215 are now following, scarcely a week goes past without serious redundancies being announced in my constituency and elsewhere in the North-West? Will he confirm that as aid to industry in the North-West is slashed, and as public sector cuts mean fewer orders for the private sector industries of textiles and manufacturing, unemployment is likely to shoot up in the region? How much of the 300,000 increase in unemployment announced last week by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury will fall on my constituency and on the North-West?

§ Mr. Lester
Is the hon. Gentleman aware that as a result of the crazy and damaging policies of the previous Government unemployment in his constituency increased by 298 per cent.?

§ Mr. Nicholas Winterton
Is my hon. Friend aware that there is likely to be a substantial increase in unemployment in the textile industry in the North-West region unless the Government stand up for the best interests of that industry? Unless they do, a serious situation will develop. Many countries act in their own best interests, not least the United States, which practises the duality of oil pricing, and countries in the Far East, which abuse the multi-fibre arrangement. Will the Minister have a word with his right hon. and hon. Friends in other Departments to ensure that this strategic industry is not further undermined?

§ Mr. Lester
Yes.

§ Mr. McNally
Despite the Minister's cheap jibe, is he aware that many thousands of jobs in the North-West have been saved in recent years by the initiative of the National Enterprise Board? If, as the Secretary of State said "we are entering a fierce world recession", and if as he also said, "the outlook is pretty bleak", is not this the time for the right hon. Gentleman to speak up in Cabinet in support of the National Enterprise Board, to allow it to carry on its work in the North-West and other regions and not allow it to be emasculated by the ideological policies of the Secretary of State for Industry?

§ Mr. Lester
That is clearly a question for the Department of Industry and not for the Department of Employment. My 216 right hon. Friend no doubt heard the question.