HC Deb 06 July 1982 vol 27 cc131-3
1. Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the numbers of unemployed, both nationally and regionally; and if he will make a statement.

8. Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest unemployment figures; and if he will make a statement.

The Secretary of State for Employment (Mr. Norman Tebbit)

At 10 June the number of people registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom was 3,061,229. Regional figures were published in the press notice issued on 22 June; a copy is in the Library.

The total number of unemployed is rising as school leavers come on to the register, but the rate of increase is much slower than a year ago. There are also more vacancies, less short-time working and more overtime than a year ago. Unemployment may be expected to level out and begin to fall in the wake of further improvement in the economy.

Mr. Skinner

Has not the Secretary of State a duty to tell the nation when the suffering of the dole queue will end and the unemployment figures will fall? Does he recall that when the Government came to power they said that they would cut taxes for the wealthy and that the figures would fall; that they would increase taxes for the poor and that the figures would fall; and that they would have a monetarist policy and clobber the nurses and that the figures would fall? All that has proved to be of no avail. Is it not time that the right hon. Gentleman came to the Dispatch Box and told us categorically that the unemployment figures will fall before the end of the year? If he cannot do that, he ought to get out.

Mr. Tebbit

I thank the hon. Gentleman for putting his question as courteously as usual, although not, if I may say so, with his usual intellectual rigour or normal clear memory. The hon. Gentleman will remember that although the Government that he supported from time to time more than doubled unemployment, he did not ask that sort of question then.

Mr. Parry

When will the Secretary of State for unemployment make a genuine attempt to reduce unemployment instead of attacking the trade unions through his Draconian legislation? May I advise and inform the right hon. Gentleman that next Monday in Liverpool the Labour movement will fight and begin—

Mr. Speaker

Order. Question Time is for asking questions, not for giving information.

Mr. Parry

I wish to tell the Secretary of State that we on Merseyside will fight his Bill next Monday—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I have just said that Question Time is not for making statements.

Mr. Parry

We shall kill his Bill.

Mr. Tebbit

Since the end of the war Labour Governments have presided over a loss of almost 1½ million jobs, while to date, under Conservative Governments, there has been a small increase in the number of jobs. The hon. Gentleman should consider the long-term record.

Although competitiveness in British industry has increased by some 10 per cent. over the past year, we are still a third less competitive than in 1975. We still have to make up the ground that was lost largely by the Labour Government, before we can get these matters right.

Sir William Clark

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the stupid strike that the country is suffering at the moment can lead only to increased unemployment? Does he further agree that the action of some union leaders is industrial suicide and will mean only that they are acting against the work force that they are supposed to represent?

Mr. Tebbit

I agree with most of what my hon. Friend said, but the leaders are not committing industrial suicide, they are murdering the jobs of their members, and their members will remember it.

Mr. Harold Walker

Will the Secretary of State confirm that since the general election unemployment has increased by almost two and a half times? Is he aware that the 3 million victims of the Government's policies are becoming sick of his monthly platitudes and hope that he will eventually switch from rhetoric to action? Is he not aware of the CBI's support for the Labour Party's call for massive investment in infrastructure? Will he urge his Cabinet colleagues to generate desperately needed jobs? If not, is it not time that he got on his bike and looked for another job?

Mr. Tebbit

The right hon. Gentleman lowers his standards when he refers to the Government being responsible for 3 million unemployed, because he left us with more than 1¼ million of those. Therefore, he had better get the facts right. I again remind him that we inherited not only a doubling of unemployment but a doubling of prices and a massive loss of competitiveness in the middle of a world recession. Britain is not the only country that is affected. For example, in Germany unemployment has increased by 50 per cent. in the past 12 months compared with 14 per cent. here. Vacancies there have halved, while vacancies in Britain have increased.

Several Hon. Members

rose—

Mr. Speaker

Order. This subject comes up repeatedly in later questions.