HC Deb 22 July 1981 vol 9 cc141-4W
Mr. Foster

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what has been the ratio of unemployed claimants in careers offices to the number of careers officers in (a) the United Kingdom as a whole, (b) the Northern region and (c) each local education authority in the Northern region for the latest available date and for each year since 1976; and what has been the percentage change in ratio of claimants to staff for each year since 1976; years, the numbers included in the list of unemployed severely disabled people—also known as the "Section II Register"—which is maintained by the disablement resettlement service.

Table 1.
Numbers of severely disabled people working in sheltered employment as at 31 March in the following years:
1976 13,755
1977 13,345
1978 13,311
1979 13,899
1980 13,666

Mr. Peter Morrison

[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1981, c. 75]: The information is not available for the United Kingdom as a whole. However, the numbers unemployed and the unemployment percentages amongst registered disabled people and the total workforce in Great Britain within the periods requested are as follows. The informtion relates to 9 October 1980, the latest date for which comparative figures showing the duration of unemployment are available.

(2) what has been the number of careers officers in (a) the United Kingdom as a whole, (b) the Northern region, and (c) each local education authority in the Northern region for the latest available date and for each year since 1976; and how many of these careers officers are specifically designated to help handicapped young people in each of these areas.

Mr. Peter Morrison

The available information is in the following three tables. The official statistics do not distinguish unemployed claimants from non-claimants and the ratio given is of the two combined per careers officer. The national comparison shown is with Great Britain as separate arrangements apply in Northern Ireland.

Number of careers officers (note (a)) in Great Britain (note (b)) on 1 April each year (note (c)). The number in brackets is the number of careers officers specifically designated to help handicapped young people (note (d))
1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
Great Britain 2,798 2,872 3,120 3,336 3,428 3,520
(99) (108) (111) (138) (147) (150)
Northern Region 203 205 214 230 257 261
(6) (6) (7) (9) (10) (10)
Cleveland 38 39 40 42 51 53
(—) (—) (—) (—) (1) (1)
Cumbria 24 24 24 25 27 25
(—) (—) (—) (—) (—) (—)
Durham 31 31 32 35 38 40
(1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
Gateshead 15 15 15 18 20 20
(1) (1) (1) (2) (2) (2)
Newcastle-upon-Tyne 27 27 30 33 36 36
(1) (1) (2) (2) (2) (2)
North Tyneside 15 15 15 16 17 17
(—) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
Northumberland 16 17 18 18 20 21
(1) (—) (—) (1) (1) (1)
South Tyneside 12 12 14 15 16 16
(1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
Sunderland 25 25 26 28 32 33
(1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
Notes:
(a) Total of the number of careers officers on the establishment of the regular Careers Service plus the number of careers officer posts allocated under the scheme to strengthen the Careers Service in areas of high unemployment (100 per cent, funded by direct Government grant).
(b) Separate arrangements apply in Northern Ireland.
(c) Detailed infarmation about the staffing of the Careers Service is only collected once per annum, on 1 April.
(d) Not all these officers are employed full-time in helping handicapped young people.

Number of young people registered as unemployed at careers offices (notes (e) and (f)) per careers officer in April of each year (rounded)
1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
Great Britain 20 31 31 17 27 38
Northern Region 25 45 47 24 38 44
Cleveland 29 49 54 31 47 53
Cumbria 21 37 36 22 43 51
Durham 24 48 60 22 41 42
Gateshead 30 43 46 23 33 40
Newcastle-upon-Tyne 28 48 46 26 37 42
North Tyneside 15 33 33 19 28 42
Northumberland 23 40 35 23 30 36
South Tyneside 31 61 55 28 33 33
Sunderland 26 45 45 16 38 41
Notes:
(e) The count date is the second Thursday in the month.
(f) The figures collected do not distinguish between claimants and non-claimants.

Percentage change in ratio of registered unemployed per careers officer (rounded)
1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81
Great Britain +57 -45 +53 +43
Northern Region +79 +5 -49 +61 +24
Cleveland +70 + 12 -43 +53 +12
Cumbria +79 -3 -39 +92 +19
Durham +100 +25 -64 +88 +3
Gateshead +44 +7 -50 +43 +22
Newcastle-upon-Tyne +73 -4 -43 +40 +16
North Tyneside +118 -43 +49 +49
Northumberland +71 -13 -35 +31 +21
South Tyneside +100 -10 -50 + 18
Sunderland +77 -64 + 132 +9