HC Deb 16 February 1976 vol 905 cc590-8W
Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of the 1975 school leavers in Hull are still unemployed; and what percentage this represents of 1975 school leavers in the Hull travel-to-work area who did not proceed to further education.

Mr. John Fraser

I regret the precise information is not available since statistics of unemployed school leavers do not define the dates when they left school. On 8th January 1976 the number of unemployed school leavers in the Hull travel-to-work area was 344—209 boys and 135 girls. This is equivalent to 6.8 per cent. of an estimated 5,031 young people—2,457 boys and 2,574 girls—who left school for employment at the end of the 1975 summer term.

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young persons are at present employed by community industry in Hull; what proposals he has to increase the number of young persons employed in community industry in Hull; and what were the maximum and minimum numbers of persons employed each year since the service was established in Hull, giving total number and by sex.

Mr. John Fraser

There are at present 87 young people—71 male, 16 female—employed in the community industry unit in North Humberside which has a capacity of 100 places. There are no plans for further expansion of the unit, though the need for additional places is being kept under review. The unit was established in Hull in June 1973, with a capacity of 50 places. These places were not fully occupied until September 1974 when the unit employed 40 male and 10 female young employees. In December 1974 capacity was increased to 60 places, whose occupancy in 1975 ranged from 55 young employees—43 male, 12 female—in January to 61 young employees—52 male, nine female—in August. The unit was expanded to its present size in Ocober 1975.

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many 1975 school leavers in the Hull travel-to-work area entered into apprenticeships or other employment leading to an industrial, commercial or professional qualification and in what trades, businesses or professions they entered; what were the comparable figures for the past 10 years what proportion these figures represented of all school-leavers over the same period; and how these percentages compare with the national average both as a total and by sex.

NUMBERS UNEMPLOYED IN THE HULL TRAVEL-TO-WORK AREA ANALYSED ACCORDING TO THE INDUSTRY IN WHICH THEY WERE LAST EMPLOYED
Males Females Total
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 1,214 38 1,252
Mining and quarrying 14 14
Food, drink and tobacco 791 204 995
Coal and petroleum products 33 4 37
Chemicals and allied industries 230 89 319
Metal manufacture 180 9 189
Mechanical engineering 434 79 513
Instrument engineering 8 1 9
Electrical engineering 40 31 71
Shipbuilding and marine engineering 452 4 456
Vehicles 507 45 552
Metal goods not elsewhere specified 166 27 193
Textiles 40 44 84
Leather, leather goods and fur 105 13 118
Clothing and footwear 12 29 41
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc. 68 11 79
Timber, furniture, etc. 231 19 250
Paper, printing and publishing 116 39 155
Other manufacturing industries 85 35 120
Construction 2,024 11 2,035
Gas, electricity and water 50 4 54
Transport and communication 1,121 40 1,161
Distributive trades 1,053 416 1,469
Insurance, banking, finance and business services 129 51 180
Professional and scientific services 169 154 323
Miscellaneous services 806 386 1,192
Public administration and defence 589 82 671
Not classified by Industry 1,084 435 1,519
All Industries and Services 11,751 2,300 14,051

Mr. John Fraser

I regret that most of the information requested is not available and that the remainder could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish a breakdown by industrial ciassification, sex and age in five-year bands of the current number of unemployed in the Hull travel-to-work area, indicating how many have been unemployed for periods of one month, two months, three months, four months, five months, six months, nine months, one year, 18 months, and over two years, respectively.

Mr. John Fraser

Following is the information at January 1976:

NUMBERS UMEMPLOYED IN THE HULL TRAVEL-TO-WORK AREA ANALYSED BY AGE AND BY THE LENGTH OF TIME UNEMPLOYED*
Males 16–19 20–24 25–29 30–34 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65 and over
Up to 4 Weeks 154 271 244 155 143 137 81 92 67 110 2
Over 4 and up to 8 204 283 247 139 138 113 93 87 48 83 1
Over 8 and up to 13 255 327 239 152 123 89 100 92 58 89
Over 13 and up to 26 511 517 372 212 192 147 139 126 109 202 1
Over 26 and up to 39 165 266 181 118 80 73 66 79 74 133
Over 39 and up to 52 91 164 129 78 69 64 61 56 38 112
Over 52 78 316 271 216 210 211 236 309 294 569
Total 1,458 2,144 1,683 1,070 955 834 776 841 688 1,298 4
Famales 16–19 20–24 25–29 30–34 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65 and over
Up to 4 Weeks 132 84 32 12 9 7 10 12 4
Over 4 and up to 8 110 94 30 14 12 23 17 9 11
Over 8 and up to 13 183 74 34 12 9 11 12 6 9
Over 13 and up to 26 362 186 44 21 16 20 23 18 17 1
Over 26 and up to 39 103 62 18 10 7 11 9 16 10
Over 39 and up to 52 58 27 12 6 5 5 10 24 12 1
Over 52 38 32 20 10 5 7 23 32 47
Total 986 559 190 85 63 84 104 117 110 2
The tables exclude adult students.
*The analysis does not distinguish separately those registered for four months or five months or five months or specific period in excess of one year.

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many new jobs have been created in the Hull travel-to-work area in the past six months; how many for men and how many for women; how many redundancies were referred to his Department in the same period for men and women; and what was the comparative figure for the whole of 1975.

Mr. Harold Walker

New jobs are created as a result of Government measures and other factors. However, it is not possible to calculate the exact effect, in terms of jobs, of any Government measures, with the exception of the job creation programme, which has been in operation since October 1975. I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that 47 jobs have been created in the Hull travel-to-work area by projects so far approved under the job creation programme. Applications involving a further 60 jobs are receiving

Numbers unemployed Percentage rate of unemployment
Males Females Total Males Females Total
Development areas 331,799 109,883 441,682 10.1 5.5 8.4
Great Britain 1,055,101 317,280 1,372,381 7.6 3.5 6.0
Hull travel-to-work area 12,433 2,646 15,079 11.0 4.0 8.4

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present ratio of unemployed persons to unfilled vacancies in the Hull travel-to-work area; in what employment categories the vacancies were notified; and how many persons registered as unemployed were suitable for these vacancies.

Mr. John Fraser

At December 1975 there were 12,403 unemployed persons, excluding adult students, registered at employment offices in the Hull travel-to-

Numbers unemployed* Notified unfilled vacancies
Managerial (general management) 8
Professional and related supporting management and administration 60 43
Professional and related in education, welfare and health 124 26
Literary, artistic and sports 57
Professional and related in science, engineering, technology and similar fields 117 32
Managerial (excluding general management) 266 40
Clerical and related 995 60
Selling 362 47
Security and protective service 47 10
Catering, cleaning, hairdressing and other personal service 493 50
Farming, fishing and related 589 4
Materials processing (excluding metal) (hides, textiles, chemicals, food, and tobacco, wood, paper and board, rubber and plastics) 143 3

urgent attention. In line with the requirements of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, these jobs are open to both men and women.

Redundancies affecting some 930 people have been recorded as due to occur between 1st August 1975 and 31st January 1976 in the Hull travel-to-work area. Some 3,300 redundancies were recorded as due to occur between 1st January 1975.

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the present levels of male and female unemployment both as an absolute figure and a percentage in the present development areas; and what is their comparison with (a) the national average unemployment and (b) unemployment in the Hull travel-to-work area.

Mr. John Fraser

Following is the information at January 1976:

work area. The number of unfilled vacancies was 415. The vacancy figure relates only to vacancies notified to employment offices and is not a measure of total vacancies. The figures do not include information for careers offices.

The following table gives an analysis of these figures by occupational group. All registrants are considered for vacancies for which they are suitable and at any given time some of the unemployed will be under submission to vacancies notified.

Making and repairing (excluding metal and electrical) (glass, ceramics, printing, paper products, clothing, footwear, woodworking, rubber and plastics) 195 24
Processing making, repairing and related (metal and electrical) (iron, steel and other metals, engineering (including installation and maintenance), vehicles and shipbuilding) 1,096 34
Painting, repetitive assembling, product inspecting, packaging and related 239 18
Construction, mining and related not identified elsewhere 541 4
Transport operating, materials moving and storing and related 1,080 6
Miscellaneous, including general labourers 5,991 14
Total, all occupations 12,403 415
*Excluding adult Students.

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many places are available in the Government training centre at Hull; how many at present are unfilled and in what category; and what plans he has to expand facilities at the centre.

Mr. Harold Walker

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that on 2nd February 1976 there were 240 training places at Hull Skillcentre—formerly Government training centre. 54 places were unfilled in the following trades:

Trade No. of unfilled places on 2 Feb.
Bricklaying 9
Carpentry and joinery 5
Capstan setting-operating 2
Milling setting-operating 2
Welding electric arc (pipe) 15
Instrument fitting and machining 5
Instrument maintenance 4
Agricultural machinery repair and maintenance 1
Heavy vehicle repair and maintenance 2
Motor vehicle repair and maintenance 9

It is planned to introduce an additional class in spray painting with 12 training places.

A wider opportunities course was recently opened with provision for 14 places rising eventually to 24 places. This type of course is of particular value to people who have found difficulty in settling to suitable employment.

Mr. Alan Lee Williams

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the industrial dispute affecting the British Waterways Board BACAT operation in Hull.

Mr. Booth

I understand that the BACAT service was withdrawn at the end of last year because of labour difficulties at the Humber ports. Under a voluntary system of industrial relations it is primarily for the parties most directly concerned to seek to resolve their differences. The services of the independent Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Services are available to assist the parties when required. It is unfortunate that no agreement was reached.