HC Deb 09 December 1977 vol 940 cc934-6W
Mr. Sillars

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what machinery has been established by his Department to monitor the Government's wage policy as it is applied in the private sector.

Mr. Harold Walker

My Department systematically monitors major settlements in the private sector. Other settlements are subject to checking in a variety of ways, including applications for price increases and government assistance. My Department follows up all cases which appear to breach the policy.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, in view of the many occasions when the Government have taken action to enforce their 10 per cent. guideline on wages with various types of sanctions, he will take the necessary action to give Ministers the statutory authority legally to enforce such policies.

Mr. Robert Sheldon

I have been asked to reply.

October 1965 October 1974 October 1977
(Per cent.) (Per cent.) (Per cent.)
Strathclyde … … … … … … 2.7 4.5 10.1
South-East … … … … … … 0.9 1.6 4.6
East Anglia … … … … … … 1.2 2.1 5.5
South-West … … … … … … 1.6 2.9 7.3
West Midlands … … … … … 0.7 —* 6.0
East Midlands … … … … … … 0.9 2.3 5.2
Yorkshire and Humberside … … … … 1.0 2.7 6.1
North-West … … … … … … 1.5 3.7 7.7
North … … … … … … … 2.4 4.8 8.8
* Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group figures for West Midlands are not available for October 1974.

Mr. Sillars

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will express the unemployment rate in Scotland relative to that in Great Britain and England,

Scotland Great Britain England
(Per cent.) (Per cent.) (Per cent.)
November 1969 … … … … … 3.7 2.4 2.2
November 1970 … … … … … 4.5 2.6 2.3
November 1971 … … … … … 6.4 3.8 3.5
November 1972 … … … … … 6.0 3.4 3.1
November 1973 … … … … … 3.7 2.2 2.0
November 1974 … … … … … 4.0 2.7 2.5
November 1975 … … … … … 5.9 4.9 4.7
November 1976* … … … … … — — —
November 1977 … … … … … 8.5 6.2 5.9
* Because of industrial action by some staff within the Department of Employment figures for November 1976 are not available.

Mr. Sillars

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the employment exchange areas in the United Kingdom in which there has been over 70 per cent. increase in unemployment since October 1974.

Mr. Golding

The numbers registered as unemployed increased by 70 per cent. or more between October 1974 and October 1977 in all employment office areas except those listed belowSouth-East—Chelmsford, Hythe (Kent) and Westminster.

We do not believe that further statutory authority is necessary.