HC Deb 19 March 1969 vol 780 cc114-6W
Mr. Gwynfor Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what consideration he gave in the light of his investigations in compiling "The Task Ahead" to the potential for economic growth of Wales.

Mr. Urwin

Full consideration was given to the economic potential of Wales in compiling "The Task Ahead". The Government are spending nearly £260 million a year in preferential assistance to help Wales and the other development areas to fulfil their potential.

Mr. Gwynfor Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs in what regions he expects a fast rate of economic growth and where he expects a slower rate of growth in the light of Chapter 9(4) of "The Task Ahead".

Mr. Urwin

There are no figures of past or future economic, as opposed to employment growth for separate regions.

The prospects for male and female employment between now and the early 'seventies are very different from each other nationally, and also regionally. The continued, though less severe, decline anticipated for male employment in agriculture and in the older industries such as coalmining and iron and steel indicates that the growth of total male employment will not be as fast in regions where these industries are concentrated as in other regions.

Mr. Gwynfor Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what were the sources he used in compiling Table 9.1 of "The Task Ahead".

Mr. Urwin

The sources used in compiling Table 9.1 of "The Task Ahead" were as follows:

A. Department of Employment and Productivity

  1. (i) Unemployment Rates: Published in Gazette.
  2. (ii) Household Income: Published in Annual Reports of the Family Expenditure Survey.
  3. (iii) Industry Adjusted Male Hourly Earnings: Earnings by region and industry are published in the Gazette. Details of the industry adjustment calculations will be given in a special Gazette article and be published later this year.
  4. (iv) Male and Female Activity Rates: Published in the Gazette.

B. General Register Offices

  1. (i) Activity Rates of Married Women: The number of married women in employment and the number of women aged 14 and over have 116 been published in the 1966 Sample Census results.
  2. (ii) Inter-regional Migration: The numbers migrating between regions have been published in the regional migration volumes of the 1966 Sample Census.
  3. (iii) Growth of Population of Working Age: Estimates of the regional population in mid-1961 and mid-1966, for the working age groups, have been published in the Regional Abstract of Statistics.

From the population of working age in 1966 were subtracted migrants of working age, during the five years prior to the 1966 Sample Census, to obtain estimates of the 1966 population without migration.

C. Department of Health and Security

Male EarningsPublished in the Abstract of Regional Statistics.

D. Governor of Northern Ireland

Comparable statistics on all subjects were provided by the Government of Northern Ireland.