§ Mr. W. Rossasked the Minister of Labour the number of persons registered as unemployed in the Kilmarnock and Newmilns areas at most recent available date; how many have been unemployed for 18 months and over; and how many of this latter category are over 50 years of age.
§ Mr. BevanThe total numbers of unemployed persons on the registers of the Kilmarnock and Newmilns Employment Exchanges at 12th March, 1951, were 336 and 51 respectively, of whom 27 and 7 had been continuously unemployed for more than 12 months. The returns do not distinguish the numbers who have been unemployed for more than 18 months. The analysis according to age as well as duration of unemployment is obtained only at six-monthly intervals and the latest date for which figures are available is 11th December, 1950. The numbers who at that date had been on the registers of the Kilmarnock and Newmilns Employment Exchanges for more than 12 months were 30 and 8 respectively, of whom 15 and 3 were over 50 years of age.