HC Deb 14 February 1978 vol 944 cc142-4W
Mr. Park

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how much was paid out in redundancy payments in 1976 and 1977 up to the latest available date; and how many persons have qualified for payments in each of those years.

Mr. Golding

The following information relates to employees in respect of whom payments—including rebate paid to employers and payments direct to employees—were made from the Redundancy Fund in the periods shown.

Mr. Golding

At 12th January, 9.4 per cent. of those registered as unemployed in both the West Midlands Region and the remainder of Great Britain were 60 years of age or over.

Mr. Park

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers of employees in employment in manufacturing industries in the West Midlands Region in each of the last four years.

Mr. Golding

Following is the information at June in each year and, additionally, in December last year.

Employees in Employment in Manufacturing Industries in the West Midlands Region
(Thousands)
1974 June 1,081
1975 June 1,021
1976 June 979
1977 June 999*
1977 December 1,008*
* Provisional estimate

Mr. Park

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the figures for registered unemployed and unfilled vacancies in the West Midlands Region, respectively, for the latest month for which statistics are available, in comparison with the levels for 1975 and 1976.

Mr. Golding

The information is given in the following table. Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department

Numbers registered as unemployed Notified unfilled vacancies at
Employment Offices Careers Offices
January 1976 129,599 4,518 1,471
January 1978 130,844 11,395 1,612

The vacancy figures relate only to vacancies notified to employment officers and careers officers and are not a measure of total vacancies. Because of possible duplication, the two sets of figures should not be added together.

Mr. Park

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many building trade craftsmen are unemployed in the West Midlands Region to the latest convenient date.

Mr. Golding

The following table gives the numbers of unemployed people registered at employment offices in the West Midlands Region at 12th January for work in certain selected occupations in the construction industry.

Carpenters and joiners 832
Electricians 118
Linesmen and cable jointers 14
Heating and ventilating engineering fitters 39
Plumbers, pipe fitters and gas fitters 273
Mental scaffolders 96
Other steel erectors and riggers and cable splicers 305
Painters and decorators 1,020
Bricklayers and stone setters 747
Plasterers 244
Terrazzo workers and tile setters 41
Roofers 157
Glaziers 27
General builders 145
Pipe layers and jointers 111
Site work concreters 41
Earth movers and civil engineering equipment operators 251
Crane, hoist and other materials handling equipment operators 185
Total of above 4,643

Mr. Park

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are awaiting admission to Government training centres in the West Midlands Region; and what is the maximum waiting period for admission.

Mr. Golding

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that on 17th January 1978 there were 1,411 people awaiting admission to skillcentres—formerly Government training centres—in the West Midlands area. At the of Employment group, figures for January 1975 are not available.

same date, the maximum waiting period for admission was about 14 months.

Mr. Park

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons under 18 years of age are unemployed in the West Midlands Region at the latest available date.

Mr. Golding

At 12th January, 12,488 people under 18 years of age were registered as unemployed in the West Midlands Region.