§ Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will cause to be separately published monthly the figures and percentages of unemployment in each of the Highlands and Islands counties, in view of the underestimate of the unemployment situation in certain areas which results from publication of only one set of figures for the whole Highlands and Islands region.
§ Mr. FernyhoughNo. It is not the practice of my Department to provide in the monthly table "Area Statistics of Unemployment" in the Employment and Productivity Gazette, figures and percentage rates by county. The table, however, draws attention to an article in the August, 1968, issue of the Gazette which explains that figures and percentage rates are available to those interested for every individual employment exchange in the Highland Planning Region except Dingwall and Invergordon for which a combined rate only is available. I am making arrangements for my hon. Friend to receive these figures regularly.