§ 9. Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present rate of unemployment within the Rotherham-Mexborough travel-to-work area.
§ Mr. LeeOn 10 December 1987 the number of unemployed claimants in the Rotherham and Mexborough travel-to-work area, expressed as a percentage of employees in employment plus the unemployed, was 18.9 per cent.
§ Mr. HardyGiven the deplorable situation in the area, the fact that official statistics seem particularly inaccurate or irrelevant in the Dearne valley area, the approach of further and horrendous job losses through colliery closures, and particularly through the deceitful and deplorable closure of the Canning Town glassworks at Swinton in my constituency, what action will the Minister take to ensure that the supposed economic miracle being experienced by Britain does not pass this area by entirely unremarked?
§ Mr. LeeI acknowledge that unemployment in the hon. Gentleman's travel-to-work area and constituency is worse than in the region generally. I acknowledged that when I replied to his recent Adjournment debate. Nevertheless, things are improving. There has been a fall in the number unemployed of 3,057 over the past 12 months, and there has also been a 30 per cent. rise in jobcentre vacancies. There have been several encouraging features in the area, such as the Rotherham enterprise zone, which has been a great success.