§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the number of persons employed in the United Kingdom spinning industry (Cotton Systems) for 1957, 1967 and 1976, or 1975 if 1976 is not available, and the number expected to be employed at the end of 1977.
§ Mr. GoldingI have been asked to reply.
Information on a consistent basis is available from June 1959 from the continuous series of employment estimates which removes discontinuities present in the earlier date. The following table gives estimates of the numbers of employees in employment in the United Kingdom spinning and doubling on the cotton and flax systems (Minimum List Heading 412 of the Standard Industrial Classification). It includes the latest estimate available which is for May 1977:
June 1959 … … … 140,000 June 1967 … … … 88,000 June 1976* … … … 57,500 May 1977* … … … 57,600 *Provisional. Projections of employment are not available.