§ 2. Mr. Dixonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many more people than in June 1979 were recorded at the most recent date available as having been unemployed for more than a year.
§ Mr. DixonIs the Minister aware that, of those 850,000 people, 90,639 are in the northern region? May I suggest that the Minister and the Cabinet do the same as the hon. Member for Derbyshire, West (Mr. Parris)—go to Newcastle and spend a week on unemployment benefit? They may then have some compassion for those who are out of work because of the Government's policies.
§ Mr. GummerIt is a question of making people sufficiently compassionate to do something about the issue, and that is what the Government are doing. Previous Governments did nothing about the underlying problem of the British economy, and that has resulted in this tragic state of affairs.
§ Dr. David ClarkDoes the Minister realise that 600 employees of Plessey in my constituency will soon be added to that appalling figure and that the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has refused to meet representatives of the local community? If the hon. Gentleman is keen to assist areas such as Tyneside, will he consult his colleagues in the Department of Trade and Industry about setting up a joint initiative to try to enable some modern technological jobs to stay on Tyneside?
§ Mr. GummerI am happy to draw those remarks to my right hon. Friend's attention.
§ Mr. John SmithThe Minister referred to what might be done about these matters. I suggest that one obvious measure to help our unfortunately large army of long-term unemployed is to extend long-term supplementary benefit to them. That would have the effect of giving a family £11 and a single person £7 a week more. As we unfortunately have such a large number of long-term unemployed, is it not high time that we sought to afford them some social justice?
§ Mr. GummerI am sure that the right hon. Gentleman will agree that that is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.