§ 16. Mr. Ray Powellasked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest unemployment figures available for (i) Ogmore constituency, (ii) Mid Glamorgan county council and (iii) Wales.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsOn 14 January 1985 the numbers of unemployed claimants were 4,690, 35,756 and 183,806, respectively.
§ Mr. PowellFurther to a question that I asked earlier about Ogmore and unemployment there, is the Secretary of State aware that 2,000 people in the borough are applying for rented council accommodation but that the local authority is not funded sufficiently to house more than 100 a year for the next five years? Is he further aware that 50,000 construction workers are out of work in Wales? Is it not time that we started to build the houses, hospitals, schools and sheltered accommodation that people in the area need?
§ Mr. EdwardsThe hon. Gentleman, of all people, should be aware that we have just completed and handed over on time a district general hospital in his area. That is extremely creditable. It is part of a massive hospital building programme in the Principality.