HC Deb 29 November 1979 vol 974 cc732-4W
Mr. Dixon

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many apprentices there are employed in the River Tyne area in (a) the shipbuilding industry, (b) the ship repairing industry and (c) the marine engineering industry.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that at the most recent date for which information is available the estimated numbers of craft and technician apprentices employed in the River Tyne area in the shipbuilding, ship repairing and marine engineering industries were 983, 390 and 116 respectively.

Mr. Dixon

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many persons employed in the marine engineering industry in the Tyne area are in the following age groups (a) under 24 years, (b) 25 to 34 years, (c) 35 to 44 years, (d) 45 to 54 years and (e) 55 years and over;

(2) how many persons employed in the ship repairing industry in the River Tyne area are in the age groups (a) under 24 years, (b) 25 to 34 years, (c) 35 to 44 years, (d) 45 to 54 years and (e) 55 years and over;

(3) how many persons employed in the shipbuilding industry in the River Tyne area are in the age groups (a) under 24 years, (b) 25 to 34 years, (c) 35 to 44 years, (d) 45 to 54 years and (e) 55 years and over.

Mr. Jim Lester

My Department's employment statistics are analysed according to the minimum list headings (MLHs) of the Standard Industry Classification—1968 edition—which does not separately identify shipbuilding, ship repairing and marine engineering. In these three industrial activities combined—MLH 370—there were 21,700 employees in employment in the North Tyne and South Tyne travel-to-work areas and 48,200 in the Northern region as a whole at June 1976, the latest date for which such local area employment figures are available. These employment figures are taken from the census of employment which does not provide details of the age of employees.

From the 1977 EEC labour force survey it is estimated that in the shipbuilding, ship repairing and marine engineering industries, in the Northern region, 38 per cent. of employees were aged under 30 years, 37 per cent. were aged 30–49 and 25 per cent. were aged 50 or over. A more detailed age breakdown is not available.

Mr. Dixon

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many persons who have left the marine engineering industry since July 1977 in the River Tyne area were still out of work in October;

(2) how many persons who have left the ship repairing industry since July 1977 in the River Tyne area were still out of work in October.

(3) how many persons who have left the shipbuilding industry since July 1977 in the River Tyne area were still out of employment in October.

Mr. Jim Lester

I regret that the information is not available. The numbers unemployed are analysed (a) according to the industry in which they last worked and (b) by the length of time for which they were unemployed, but there is no cross-analysis by both industry and duration.