HC Deb 21 December 1976 vol 923 cc153-5W
15. Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what further steps he proposes to take to reduce unemployment.

16. Mr. Neubert

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he proposes to introduce to effect a lasting reduction in the present level of unemployment, in implementation of the undertaking given in the Gracious Speech.

Mr. Booth

The anti-unemployment measures for which I am responsible, the latest of which were announced as recently as 15th December, will reach their maximum impact next year. All are kept under close review and, as the Government has shown on several occasions in the last 12 to 18 months, it is always ready to expand existing measures and introduce new ones as the need and opportunity arises.

The reduction of unemployment on a lasting basis, however, must depend on the growth of world trade and on expansion of our share of it.

23. Mr. Henderson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the effectiveness of measures to reduce unemployment.

Mr. Booth

The overall aim of the special measures has been to mitigate unemployment in the short term and more generally to safeguard the future by maintaining the viability of firms and increasing the level of training activity. It is estimated that, taken together, the various measures will help about 500,000 people during a period of exceptionally high unemployment.

25. Mr. Jessel

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are now unemployed.

Mr. Golding

At 14th October, the latest date for which information is available, 1,320,923 people were registered as unemployed in Great Britain.

26. Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest unemployment figures; and what are the estimates up to the end of the financial year.

Mr. Golding

On 14th October 1976, the latest date for which information is available, 1,320,923 people were registered as unemployed in Great Britain. We expect the level to rise towards the end of the financial year because of the slow recovery of world trade and normal seasonal unemployment of the first quarter.

31. Mr. MacFarquhar

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of people who have become unemployed due to inability to pursue their studies.

Mr. Golding

I regret that we have made no estimate.

38. Mr. Flannery

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are currently registered unemployed; how many of these are women; and whether he has any estimate of unemployed women who are unregistered.

Mr. Golding

In October 1976, there were 1,320,923 persons registered as unemployed in Great Britain, of whom 348,764 were females. The latest estimate at present available of unregistered unemployed females, from the General Household Survey, and relating to 1973, is 160,000.