§ 8. Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest figure of the number of males unemployed in Newport, Gwent; and what percentage of the male working population in Newport this represents.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsOn 11 November male unemployment in the Newport travel-to-work area totalled 10,224, or 18.0 per cent.
§ Mr. HughesDoes the Minister appreciate that that figure of 18 per cent. compares with the official figure of 7.1 per cent. in May 1979—an increase of over two and a half times for Newport? Is that not a catastrophic 659 indictment of the Government's policies and will not Saatchi and Saatchi have a lot of explaining to do at the next general election?
§ Mr. EdwardsThe male unemployment problem is severe in this area, as elsewhere. However, it must be said that it is a lot less severe than in some other areas. The prospects for Gwent are extremely good, not least because there has been a major capital programme of factory building as well as the arrival of large new concerns such as Mitel, close to the hon. Gentleman's constituency, and the Inmos project, which I am confident will produce a large increase in employment in the coming months.