§ 18. Mr. Mike Thomasasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration regional differences in unemployment played in his 26th October statement.
§ Mr. Joel Barnett:I believe that the measures announced on 26th October will help to promote growth in industrial investment and bring down the rate of unemployment throughout the United Kingdom.
§ 29. Mr. Thorneasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial measures he has in view which are likely to promote immediate improvements in the United Kingdom employment position.
§ Mr. Joel Barnett:The measures which my right hon. Friend announced in his statement to the House on 26th October should, on the conventional arithmetic, produce an increase in employment of about 30,000 by the first quarter of 1978 and of 170,000 by the first quarter of 1979.
§ Mr. Leeasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated effect, adverse or favourable, of the recent revaluation of the £ sterling upon employment prospects during the next 12 months 179W in the 12 most important labour-intensive manufacturing industries; and by what number total unemployment is likely to increase or decrease during this period as a consequence of this revaluation.
§ Mr. Denzil Davies:Any estimate made at this stage would be highly speculative. Much will depend on the actual path of the exchange rate, on the response of domestic costs, and hence on the impact on output.