§ Mr. Michael McGuireasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the present rate of unemployment for young people in Skelmersdale;
(2) how many young people in Skelmersdale have been unable to obtain a job since leaving school in 1974 and 1975;
(3) how many of those who left school in July 1976 in Skelmersdale are still unemployed.
§ Mr. GoldingThere are difficulties about calculating a rate of unemployment for young people, and we do not do this. The total number of persons under 20 years of age registered as unemployed in Skelmersdale on 8th July—the latest available statistics—was 910. The latest statistics of unemployed school leavers were collected on 9th September when 313 were registered in Skelmersdale. The statistics do not distinguish between the different dates of leaving school, but it is known that no 1974 school leavers were included. Five 1975 leavers were still registered and of the remainder the majority registered on or after 28th May this year.
§ Mr. Michael McGuireasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present rate of unemployment for all groups in (a) the Skelmersdale New Town and (b) the rest of the Ince constituency; and how this compares with 1974 and 1975.
§ Mr. GoldingSkelmersdale is a part of the Ormskirk travel-to-work area. The remainder of the Ince constituency is 601W partly in the Wigan travel-to-work area and partly in the Leigh travel-to-work-area. Unemployment rates are calculated only for the whole of a travel-to-
Travel-to-Work Area September 1974 September 1975 September 1976 Ormskirk (including Skelmersdale) … 5.0 9.8 12.8 Wigan (including Ashton-in-Makerfield and Hindley) … 3.9 6.4 9.0 Leigh (including Atherton and Golborne) … 2.8 5.1 6.2