§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment, in order to obtain more accurate analyses of the composition of unemployment, if he will examine the case for putting the unemployment register on a computer file.
§ Mr. John FraserAs I stated in my reply to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Edwards) on 25th March—[Vol. 89W 871, c. 95]—pilot studies in 1970 and 1971 identified certain difficulties in putting the unemployment register on to a computer for statistical purposes. Further work on methods of overcoming the difficulties has been postponed until after the introduction of the new clerical procedures concerned with unemployment statistics which are made necessary by the separation of the placing work, under the Employment Service Agency, from the payment of benefit, which will remain the responsibility of my Department.