§ 14. Mr. David Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many workers have been made redundant in the Northern region in 1980.
§ Mr. Jim LesterInformation on the number of redundancies which have actually taken place is not available. However, I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the number of employees involved in redundancies affecting 10 or more and reported as due to occur in the Northern region from 1 January to 30 June 1980 involved 11,679 employees. This figure is provisional since some redundancies are reported late.
The above figure should be treated with caution, for reasons explained in the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Handsworth (Mrs. Wright) on 30 June.—[Vol. 987, c. 383–4.]