§ Mr. Alan Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the current unemployment levels for each employment office area and travel-to-work area which has had its assisted area status reduced or removed as a result of the regional review announced on 17 July; and if he will also relate those levels to the average for Great Britain, taking that average as 100.
§ Mr. Jim Lester,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23 July 1979; Vol. 971, c.47],gave the following answer:
454W
Employment Office Area or Travel-to-work Area Total registered as unemployed Unemployment percentage rate Index number taking rate for Great Britain as 100 South West Barnstaple … 1,137 5.2 96 Bideford … 775 6.6 122 Okehampton … 239 5.7 106 West Midlands Oswestry … 756 5.6 104 East Midlands Alfreton … 1,050 4.5 83 Horncastle … 166 5.5 102 Louth … 403 5…2 96 Worksop … 1,588 5.8 107 Buxton* … 557 2.7 50 Chesterfield* … 4,513 5.5 102 Nottingham* … 17,313 51.40 94 Sutton-in-Ashfield* … 1,396 4. 74 Yorkshire and Humberside Driffield … 121 1.9 35 Filey … 93 2.2 41 Harrogate … 1,219 3.5 65 Huddersfield … 3,872 4.3 80 Keighley … 1,403 4.7 87 Malton … 232 3.5 65 Northallerton … 553 3.6 67 Pickering … 252 41.3 76 Ripon … 230 3. 65 Scarborough … 1,034 4. 76 Selby … 441 3. 67 Skipton … 329 2.3 43 Thirsk … 270 3. 70 Todmorden … 242 4. 76 Whitby … 449 8.3 152 York … 3,043 3. 67 Castleford* … 4,053 6. 120 Dewsbury* … 3,116 4. 87 Halifax* … 2,801 3. 67 Leeds* … 16,876 4. 91 Scunthorpe* … 3,744 5.9 109 Sheffield* … 14,788 5. 93 Wakefield* … 3,912 5. 98 North West Barnoldswick … 188 2. 46 Chester … 3,357 6. 117 Clitheroe … 211 1. 33 Macclesfield … 1,150 4. 78 St. Helens … 5,183 80. 148 Accrington* … 1,250 4. 78 Ashton-under-Lyne* … 4,293 4. 83 Blackburn* … 4,321 6. 119 At 14 June, there were 1,281,102 people registered as unemployed in Great Britain and the unemployment rate was 5.4 per cent. The following table gives corresponding numbers and rates for those areas whose assisted area status is to be reduced or removed and expresses the rates as index numbers taking the rate for Great Britain as 100.
Care should be taken in comparing with the rate for Great Britain unemployment figures for areas with relatively small numbers unemployed, which may be affected by temporary or other special circumstances.
455W456W457W
Employment Office Area or Travel-to-work Area Total registered as unemployed Unemployment percentage rate Index number taking rate for Great Britain as 100 Bolton* … 6,521 5.9 109 Burnley* … 2,067 4.1 76 Bury* … 2,768 4.4 82 Crewe* … 2,634 4.2 78 Leigh* … 2,643 6.1 113 Nelson* … 1,112 4.3 80 Northwich* … 1,820 4.6 85 Manchester* … 38,327 5.4 100 Oldham and Chadderton* … 3,778 3.8 70 Ormskirk* … 3,581 11.5 213 Preston* … 7,626 5.3 98 Rossendale* … 947 4.7 87 Rochdale* … 2,966 5.7 106 Warrington* … 4,554 5.8 107 North Barnard Castle … 258 5.8 107 Berwick … 355 4.2 78 Carlisle … 2,797 5.6 104 Haltwhistle … 153 5.3 98 Hexham … 423 4.1 76 Keswick … 103 3.5 65 Penrith … 538 4.2 78 Alnwick* … 763 7.1 132 Darlington and South West Durham* … 5,744 7.1 132 Central Durham* … 4,882 7.4 137 Furness* … 2,633 5.8 107 Kendal* … 557 2.4 44 Morpeth* … 5,329 8.8 163 Whitehaven* … 2,434 8.3 154 Workington* … 2,461 8.1 150 Wales Aberdare … 1,959 9.0 167 Aberystwyth … 606 5.3 98 Barmouth … 92 2.7 50 Blaenau Ffestiniog … 197 8.7 161 Brecon … 294 4.1 76 Carmarthen … 566 3.5 65 Denbigh … 356 5.1 94 Llandeilo … 234 7.3 135 Llandrindod Wells … 403 5.5 102 Llangollen … 297 6.1 113 Llanwrst … 127 4.7 87 Machynlleth … 97 5.1 94 Newton … 303 4.1 76 Tenby … 200 6.1 113 Tywvn … 80 8.4 156 Welshpool … 297 4.7 87 Caernarvon* … 1,928 8.3 154 Llandudno* … 1,575 5.9 109 Llanelli* … 2,418 6.7 124 Merthyr Tydfil* … 1,907 7.1 132 Neath* … 2,044 7.8 144 Newport* … 5,817 6.6 122 Pontypridd* … 5,392 8.0 148 Port Talbot* … 5,301 6.6 122 Pwllheli* … 570 6.2 115 Swansea* … 7,604 7.1 132 Scotland Anstruther … 152 8.0 148 Banff … 391 5.5 102 Buckie … 225 6.6 122 Castle Douglas … 514 7.5 139 Cupar … 526 6.0 111 Elgin … 1,225 6.6 122 Eyemouth … 199 6.4 119 Forfar … 476 4.9 91 Forres … 386 12.1 224 Fraserburgh … 479 6.5 120
Employment Office Area or Travel-to-work Area Total registered as unemployed Unemployment percentage rate Index number taking rate for Great Britain as 100 Galashiels … … … 428 3. 59 Girvan … … … 445 10. 194 Haddington … … … 450 5.8 107 Hawick … … … 431 3. 67 Huntly … … … 131 4. 82 Kelso … … … 175 3. 57 Kirkwall … … … 360 5.7 106 Lerwick … … … 201 2. 52 Montrose … … … 654 5.5 102 Nairn … … … 265 10.5 194 Peebles … … … 111 2.5 46 Peterhead … … … 675 6.5 120 St. Andrews … … … 367 6.0 111 Aberdeen* … … … 4,666 3.7 69 Dumfries* … … … 2,214 6.5 120 Edinburgh* … … … 16,788 5.9 109 Kirkcaldy* … … … 5,269 8.0 148 Perth* … … … 1,953 5.2 96 Stirling* … … … 3,387 7.2 133 * Travel-to-work Area.