HC Deb 22 October 1991 vol 196 c788
10. Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will visit the Crewe and Nantwich constituency to discuss the unemployment figures for May and June.

Mr. Forth

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has no immediate plans to visit the area. There were 3,851 unemployed claimants in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency in September 1991, which is more than 33 per cent. fewer than in September 1983, when unemployment was at its peak in the constituency.

Mrs. Dunwoody

Is the Minister aware that my constituency has one of the most rapidly rising unemployment rates and that, despite the desperate need for rolling stock, firms of the quality of British Rail Engineering Ltd. cannot fill their order books? Rolls-Royce Ltd., which has a history of providing high-quality engineering, shut down at extremely short notice without any indication that this would be the last layoff between now and Christmas. What hope does he have for the employees of those companies or for people who are desperately looking for employment?

Mr. Forth

I can well understand the hon. Lady's concern about the extent of the job losses that her constituents have experienced. That concern is widely shared, not least among my colleagues and myself. She asked for hope. Between April and September 1991, almost 80 per cent. of the 1,700 restart interviewees in the Crewe area found either jobs, training or other positive outcomes. Job clubs in Crewe have helped 98 people into jobs since April, and the South and East Cheshire TEC— one of the most dynamic and successful TECs—is fully operational in her area. It is well understood by Conservative Members that 50 per cent. of people who unfortunately lose their jobs, including in the hon. Lady's constituency, find themselves back in employment within three months. That is something positive for people to look for. We shall do all that we can to help them to do just that.