Labour Statistics

HC Deb 22 March 1984 vol 56 cc1166-7

6. Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to publish the recent unemployment figures in the Province.

Mr. Butler

The Northern Ireland unemployment figures at 9 February were published in both Northern Ireland and United Kingdom press notices released on 1 March. The next set of figures will be published on 29 March.

Mr. Parry

Is the Minister aware that in June 1979 the unemployment figure for the Province was 59,600 and that by February this year it had grown to 122,357? Is he further aware that unemployment in Northern Ireland has risen from 10.4 to 22 per cent.? Is that not an appalling record for the Government, particularly since over 23,000 people have been unemployed for up to two years and 20,538 for more than three years? Are the figures not an indictment of the Government's policies in Northern Ireland?

Mr. Butler

The figures are a reflection of the seriousness of the situation. I do not think that the hon. Gentleman gains by drawing attention to the figure of 10 per cent. or more in 1979, because that was way above the standard in Great Britain. It shows that at that time the problems in Northern Ireland were very much worse than in the United Kingdom on average, as they are today. That is why the Government, and their predecessors, put in a large amount of public money and effort in other directions to try to overcome the problems.

Mr. Soley

Does the Minister realise that that is a pathetic answer in view of the Labour Government's record in Northern Ireland? Has the hon. Gentleman considered the employment potential of an energy conservation scheme for housing in Northern Ireland? If not, why not?

Mr. Butler

We have an energy conservation scheme. I have announced new measures, which are one part of the whole story. Energy costs in Northern Ireland are higher than elsewhere. If the hon. Gentleman wants to trade the performance of one Government against another, I remind him that, although for part of the Labour Government's time there was a subsidy to keep energy costs down, it was not as great as the present subsidy which keeps costs down to the highest level operating in Great Britain.