Leasing Finance (Hansard, 5 June 1980)

§ Mr. Squire
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is now ready to lay regulations exempting those who provide leasing finance from the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, in the same way that those who finance hire purchase, conditional sale and credit sale business are currently exempted.

§ Mr. Mayhew
I have agreed that the Health and Safety (Leasing Arrangements) Regulations 1980, recommended to me by the Health and Safety Commission should be made. These regulations will exempt from the duties under section 6 of the 797W Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 those whose involvement is concerned exclusively with providing leasing finance in a similar way to that in which those who finance conditional sale and credit sale agreements are currently exempt.
I expect the regulations to be laid in the very near future.

United Kingdom Scotland Edinburgh travel-to-work area

Per cent. Per cent. Per cent.

March 1970 … … … 2.7 4.1 3.4

March 1971 … … … 3.2 5.5 4.4

March 1972 … … … 4.2 7.0 5.5

March 1973 … … … 3.1 5.3 4.3

March 1974 … … … 2.7 4.1 3.4

March 1975 … … … 3.4 4.5 3.7

March 1976 … … … 5.4 6.6 5.2

March 1977 … … … 5.7 7.8 6.4

March 1978 … … … 6.1 8.5 6.6

March 1979 … … … 5.8 8.1 6.1

March 1980 ^* … … … 6.1 8.9 6.4

^* The March 1980 rates are not strictly comparable with those for earlier years because of the introduction of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. This had the effect of raising the monthly unemployment figures for the country as a whole by about 20,000 from October 1979, but this has a negligible effect on the percentage rates.

§ Mr. Strang
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many males, females and young people have been unemployed in the United Kingdom, Scotland and Edinburgh in each March since 1970.

§ Mr. Jim Lester
Table 1 below gives the numbers of males and females registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom,

TABLE 1: ALL REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED

United Kingdom Scotland Edinburgh employment office area

Males Females Males Females Males Females

March 1970 … 544,828 92,647 72,118 16,970 3,700 517

March 1971 … 619,962 117,982 92,788 22,927 4,679 652

March 1972 … 812,513 154,465 117,154 31,087 5,713 903

March 1973 … 594,351 122,854 88,564 25,262 4,600 802

March 1974 … 523,444 94,969 72,314 17,344 4,096 592

March 1975 … 657,688 144,899 76,346 22,410 4,352 734

March 1976 … 997,739 287,166 107,299 37,829 5,812 1,309

March 1977 … 1,028,498 354,974 123,289 52,158 6,631 2,106

March 1978 … 1,058,401 402,565 130,933 60,105 6,926 2,603

March 1979 … 1,005,494 396,760 123,250 59,747 6,289 2,576

March 1980^* … 1,025,144 452,817 130,417 69,707 6,138 2,806

TABLE 2: REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED UNDER 20 YEARS OF AGE

United Kingdom Scotland Edinburgh employment office area

April 1979 … … 200,208 32,039 1,360

April 1980^* … … 258,210 36,166 1,324

^* The figures for March and April 1980 are not strictly comparable with those for earlier years because of the introduction of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. This had the effect ofraising the monthly figures for all unemployed in the country as a whole by about 20,000, or 1½ percent., from October 1979. Estimates of this effect by age are not available.

The figures of unemployed aged under 20 yean include Easter school leavers in April 1980, but not April 1979 when the count was taken before Easter Roughly half the increase shown for the United Kingdom between the two dates is due to this.

				United Kingdom	Scotland	Edinburgh travel-to-work area
				Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.
March 1970	…	…	…	2.7	4.1	3.4
March 1971	…	…	…	3.2	5.5	4.4
March 1972	…	…	…	4.2	7.0	5.5
March 1973	…	…	…	3.1	5.3	4.3
March 1974	…	…	…	2.7	4.1	3.4
March 1975	…	…	…	3.4	4.5	3.7
March 1976	…	…	…	5.4	6.6	5.2
March 1977	…	…	…	5.7	7.8	6.4
March 1978	…	…	…	6.1	8.5	6.6
March 1979	…	…	…	5.8	8.1	6.1
March 1980 ^*	…	…	…	6.1	8.9	6.4
^* The March 1980 rates are not strictly comparable with those for earlier years because of the introduction of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. This had the effect of raising the monthly unemployment figures for the country as a whole by about 20,000 from October 1979, but this has a negligible effect on the percentage rates.

TABLE 1: ALL REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED
		United Kingdom	Scotland	Edinburgh employment office area
		Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females
March 1970	…	544,828	92,647	72,118	16,970	3,700	517
March 1971	…	619,962	117,982	92,788	22,927	4,679	652
March 1972	…	812,513	154,465	117,154	31,087	5,713	903
March 1973	…	594,351	122,854	88,564	25,262	4,600	802
March 1974	…	523,444	94,969	72,314	17,344	4,096	592
March 1975	…	657,688	144,899	76,346	22,410	4,352	734
March 1976	…	997,739	287,166	107,299	37,829	5,812	1,309
March 1977	…	1,028,498	354,974	123,289	52,158	6,631	2,106
March 1978	…	1,058,401	402,565	130,933	60,105	6,926	2,603
March 1979	…	1,005,494	396,760	123,250	59,747	6,289	2,576
March 1980^*	…	1,025,144	452,817	130,417	69,707	6,138	2,806

TABLE 2: REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED UNDER 20 YEARS OF AGE
			United Kingdom	Scotland	Edinburgh employment office area
April 1979	…	…	200,208	32,039	1,360
April 1980^*	…	…	258,210	36,166	1,324
^* The figures for March and April 1980 are not strictly comparable with those for earlier years because of the introduction of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. This had the effect ofraising the monthly figures for all unemployed in the country as a whole by about 20,000, or 1½ percent., from October 1979. Estimates of this effect by age are not available.
The figures of unemployed aged under 20 yean include Easter school leavers in April 1980, but not April 1979 when the count was taken before Easter Roughly half the increase shown for the United Kingdom between the two dates is due to this.