§ 22. Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the number of unemployed and disabled unemployed in the Stockport travel-to-work area.
§ Mr. Jim LesterAt 21 October there were 7,397 people unemployed in the Stockport employment office area, 507 of whom were disabled people. The unemployment rate for the Manchester 501W travel-to-work area which includes Stockport was 8.7 per cent.
The Government are very concerned about the current high level of unemployment in Stockport. However, as long as realistic pay settlements are matched by higher productivity, inflation will continue to fall, providing the basis for sustained growth in output and employment in Stockport and elsewhere in the country.
In the meantime, the Government's special employment and training measures are available to help unemployed people in Stockport, both the disabled and the able-bodied. Moreover, we are taking further steps through the fit-for-work campaign and the job introduction scheme to encourage employers to recruit disabled people.