§ 1. Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the role played in the formulation of her Department's policy by (a) the figures for those unemployed and claiming benefit and (b) the labour force survey. [7051]
§ The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Mr. Eric Forth)Both statistics are valuable and confirm that the Government's policies are working.
§ Mr. FoulkesI am almost speechless after that reply. The Minister must surely admit that the labour force survey shows that one household in five contains an unemployed person. The New Cumnock survey showed that the real level of unemployment is double the published figure. The Minister must therefore admit that the published figure is entirely bogus, as it shows only the number of people entitled to claim benefit. After 32 fiddles by the Government, that is a false and inaccurate figure.
§ Mr. ForthPresumably the hon. Gentleman is a fan of the International Labour Organisation. If he were not, he would be unusual on the Labour Benches. I assume that most Labour Members admire the ILO and all its doings—a view that I do not necessarily share. As the labour force survey—the approved ILO method of establishing who is out of work—closely mirrors our own claimant count, I am astonished at the hon. Gentleman's outburst. Our claimant count shows just over 2 million people out of work. The labour force survey shows a similar number. According to our figures, the percentage of unemployment is seven point something; according to the labour force survey it is 8.1. By any measure, the two sets of figures show broadly the same absolute level and broadly the same downward trend in unemployment. If the hon. Gentleman is criticising the claimant count, he is also, by implication, criticising the ILO. He had better take that up with his colleagues.
§ Mr. DevlinCan my hon. Friend tell me what proportion of the working-age population is currently in work, and how that compares with comparable countries in the European Union?
§ Mr. ForthMy hon. Friend makes a good point. The United Kingdom has one of the highest proportions of people of working age in employment. That is because we have traditionally provided and continue to provide people with the maximum opportunity to be employed. If Labour Members believe, as they occasionally imply, that a European model is to be admired and emulated, I invite them to consider the fact that in most European countries not only is the percentage of unemployment higher, but the proportion of the work force who are employed is much lower than in the UK. We gain on every score.