§ 13. Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Employment which industries, professions or services or sections or sectors of such industries and services have employed more persons over the past 10 year period when general unemployment has been rising.
§ Mr. GummerIn the past 10 years employment has increased in the non-manual occupations, and in the following sectors: distribution; insurance and other financial services; professional and scientific services; miscellaneous services, including leisure industries.
Employment has also increased in a number of industries within the manufacturing sector, such as electronic goods, computers, radio, food industries, car and metal boxes and industrial engines. With permission I shall publish a list of all the industries concerned in the Official Report.
§ Mr. TaylorIn view of the Government's clear desire to do something to reduce the appalling unemployment levels, would it not be wise for the Government to review the amount of money that is being poured into industries in structural decline and make the limited resources available to industries with enormous potential, such as leisure and tourism?
§ Mr. GummerThose are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I shall see that my hon. Friend's comments are passed on to him.
§ Following are the industries:
171Employees June 1972 Thousands | Employees June 1982 Thousands | Increase 1972–82 Thousands | Percentage increase 1972–82 | |
Cement | 15 | 16 | 1 | 7 |
Printing, publishing of newspapers Printing, publishing of periodicals | 139 | 141 | 2 | 1 |
Water supply | 44 | 65 | 21 | 47 |
Miscellaneous transport services and storage | 126 | 187 | 61 | 48 |
Wholesale distribution of food and drink | 213 | 223 | 10 | 4 |
Retail distribution of food and drink | 603 | 608 | 5 | 1 |
Other retail distribution | 1,205 | 1,207 | 2 | - |
Dealing in coal, oil, builders' materials, grain and agricultural supplies | 117 | 128 | 11 | 9 |
Dealing in other industrial materials and machinery | 155 | 201 | 46 | 30 |
Insurance | 256 | 287 | 31 | 12 |
Banking and bill discounting | 266 | 363 | 97 | 37 |
Other financial institutions | 102 | 134 | 32 | 31 |
Property owning and managing etc. | 77 | 123 | 46 | 59 |
Advertising and market research | 30 | 41 | 11 | 35 |
Other business services | 184 | 302 | 118 | 64 |
Accountancy services | 80 | 101 | 21 | 26 |
Educational services | 1,536 | 1,741 | 205 | 13 |
Legal services | 103 | 121 | 18 | 18 |
Medical and dental services | 1,075 | 1,395 | 320 | 30 |
Research and development services | 90 | 104 | 14 | 16 |
Other professional and scientific services | 120 | 421 | 301 | 250 |
Sport and other recreations | 76 | 133 | 57 | 76 |
Betting and gambling | 86 | 96 | 10 | 11 |
Hotels and other residential establishments | 230 | 272 | 42 | 18 |
Restaurants, cafes, snack bars | 158 | 188 | 30 | 19 |
Public houses | 189 | 248 | 59 | 31 |
Clubs | 87 | 135 | 48 | 55 |
Catering contractors | 59 | 85 | 26 | 44 |
Motor repairers, distributors, garages and filling stations | 438 | 466 | 28 | 6 |
Other services | 380 | 621 | 241 | 63 |
§ 16. Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men and women have been out of work for six months, one year, two years and over two years in the Denton travel-to-work area.
§ Mr. GummerAs the answer contains a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate it in the Official Report.
§ Mr. BennettWhy are these figures twice as bad as they were four years ago when the area enjoyed intermediate status? As we have twice the level of unemployment, and as the time that people must endure without jobs has doubled, why cannot intermediate area status be returned to Greater Manchester and Denton?
§ Mr. GummerThe hon. Gentleman must accept that the only way to increase the number of jobs in a world recession is to make Britain more competitive. Therefore, we have to ensure that the special help that is given is concentrated on those areas with the highest rates of unemployment rather than being thinly spread, when it is of little use.
The following are the figures for the Denton jobcentre area in April, the latest date for which an analysis by duration of unemployment is available.
Duration of unemployment | Male | Female |
Up to 26 weeks | 603 | 324 |
Over 26 and up to 52 weeks | 330 | 163 |
Over 52 and up to 104 weeks | 300 | 100 |
Over 104 weeks | 196 | 66 |