Labour Statistics (Hansard, 6 July 1987)

§ 2. Mr. Roy Hughes
asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest unadjusted figures for unemployment in (a) Newport, (b) Gwent and (c) Wales; and if he will give the equivalent figures for 1979 on the most nearly comparable basis.

§ The Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Peter Walker)
On 14 May 1987, 9,118, 26,084 and 157,779 persons were unemployed in Newport district, Gwent and Wales respectively. Unadjusted figures for 1979 are not available on a basis that enables a valid comparison to be made.

§ Mr. Hughes
Does the Secretary of State appreciate that he has inherited an appalling legacy from his predecessor, which cannot be camouflaged by restart schemes or by fiddling the unemployment statistics? Will he investigate the situation at Alpha Steel in Newport, which has sacked just about all its employees? Will he also seek an early meeting with the chairman of British Rail about the proposed closure of the Severn tunnel junction, which I believe will be a monumental blunder?

§ Mr. Walker
I hope to see the chairman of British Rail in the future and will discuss the matter with him. On this first occasion, I should like to pay tribute to my predecessor for the marvellous work that he did for the Principality. To have inherited a situation where regional selective assistance applications so far this year are 38 per cent. up on last year, where regional development grant applications so far this year are up 52 per cent. on the same period last year, and where the CBI industrial survey shows the most bullish and optimistic results in years for the Principality, is a great tribute to all the work that my predecessor carried out.

§ Mr. Raffan
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his appointment. I assure him that the vast majority of the people of Wales are far more impressed by the wide experience that he brings to the job, than concerned about where he comes from. Will he reassure the House that he will continue the highly successful economic and industrial policies of his predecessor — policies that have led to unemployment falling faster in Wales than in any other part of the country, which have attracted 25 per cent. of overseas investment in the United Kingdom to Wales and 70 per cent. of Japanese investment, and which have encouraged so many people to set up in business on their own?

§ Mr. Walker
I very much agree that the trends in new businesses in inward investment and the speed at which unemployment is falling are very encouraging. I know that both my predecessor and my hon. Friend agree that there is still a great deal to be done and that with the policies that we are pursuing we can achieve great things.

§ Mr. Geraint Howells
Perhaps the Secretary of State is not aware that unemployment in Fishguard is the highest 5 in Wales, at 24.1 per cent. 1 urge the right hon. Gentleman to look at the situation and to report to me in due course on what can be done to try to resolve this problem.

§ Mr. Walker
Obviously, I would like to look at all the areas in the Principality that have particular problems. I realise that Fishguard does, and I will certainly look at it.

§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his appointment as Secretary of State. I am sure that he will bring to Wales the same determination and energy as he has displayed in previous appointments. Is he aware that in my constituency we have the highest numerical unemployment in Wales and that it is not being helped by Dyfed county council's new traffic scheme in Tenby, which came in on 1 July this week? A survey this morning shows a 40 per cent. drop in takings in those businesses already, which will do nothing for jobs in my constituency.

§ Mr. Walker
I understand my hon. Friend's concern and I know that businesses in his constituency are being hit at what should be the peak season for the tourist trade. However, it is a matter for the local highway authority. It said that it was carrying out the scheme on an experimental basis, and I hope that it will rapidly learn the lessons of the experiment.

§ Mr. John Morris
As unemployment in Wales in May 1979 was under 6 per cent. and in June 1983 it was over 13 per cent. and has now gone down by 0.4 per cent.—I congratulate Her Majesty's Government—would it be unreasonable for me to believe that if the existing trend of improvement is continued it will take 70 years to bring Welsh unemployment down to the level when Labour left office?

§ Mr. Walker
That would not be the case. In fact, the drop in unemployment over the past 12 months has been encouraging. I am glad to say that there has been a bigger drop than in any other region of the country.