§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the latest unemployment figures.
§ Mr. AlisonThe December figures were disappointing. But it is worth noting that unemployment in the United Kingdom rose only half as steeply in 1982 as it did in 1981. It also rose much less steeply—in percentage terms—than in many other major countries similarly affected by the world recession. We take no comfort from that, because our competitive position is still far too weak. The best way in which those in work can help the unemployed is to keep down pay settlements, to help our industries beat the foreign competition and create the jobs we need.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons were unemployed in the Liverpool travel-to-work area at the latest available date.
§ Mr. AlisonAt 9 December 1982 the number of unemployed claimants in the Liverpool travel-to-work area was 88,976.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were unemployed in the Merseyside special development area at the latest available date.
§ Mr. AlisonAt 9 December 1982 the number of unemployed claimants in the Merseyside special development area was 131,731.
§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report all 98W those employment areas in the United Kingdom where unemployment is over 20 per cent. stating the percentage level of unemployment in each case.
§ Mr. AlisonThe following is the information in respect of unemployed claimants at 9 December 1982 for jobcentre areas, either singly or grouped to form travel-to-work areas.
Area Percentage rate of unemployment Clacton on Sea 20.5 Hunstanton 26.5 Falmouth 22.8 Helston 20.4 Ilfracombe 27.5 Newquay 23.0 St. Ives 23.1 Corby 20.2 Mablethorpe 26.1 Skegness 22.3 Mexborough* 22.6 Rotherham 20.3 Whitby 23.4 Ormskirk* 21.1 Consett* 27.0 Hartlepool 21.5 Ebbw Vale* 24.5 Holyhead* 22.7 Lampeter* 21.9 Pembroke Dock 31.3 Rhyl 22.0 Tenby 28.1 Anstruther 21.8 Arbroath 20.8 Forres 21.0 Fort William 22.0 Irvine* 24.2 Portree 20.3 Rothesay 25.4 Sanquhar 20.1 Stornoway 25.5 Armagh 20.3 Ballymena* 21.6 Coleraine* 23.0 Cookstown 30.9 Downpatrick* 21.5 Dungannon 34.3 Enniskillen 24.9 Londonderry* 27.3 Newry 31.3 Omagh 21.5 Strabane 37.7 * Travel-to-work area comprisong two or more jobcentre areas.
§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the total number of unemployed and the percentage of unemployment for each region in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. AlisonAt 9 December 1982 the numbers of unemployed claimants and the percentage rates of unemployment for each region of the United Kingdom were as follows:
99W
Number Unemployed Percentage Rate South East 710,896 9.7 East Anglia 78,664 11.3 South West 194,841 11.8 West Midlands 355,642 16.1
Number Unemployed Percentage Rate East Midlands 187,727 11.9 Yorkshire and Humberside 292,209 14.5 North West 430,080 15.8 North 226,763 17.5 Wales 174,572 16.9 Scotland 333,203 15.3 Northern Ireland 112,310 20.1 United Kingdom 3,096,997 13.3 This information was contained in the press notice issued by my Department on 6 January.
§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the total number of unemployed and the percentage level of unemployment for each of the new employment areas in the county of Norfolk.
§ Mr. AlisonThe following table gives the number of unemployed claimants in each jobcentre area in Norfolk at 9 December 1982. It also gives the percentage rates of unemployment for the jobcentre areas, either singly or grouped to form travel-to-work areas.
Jobcentre area Number Percentage rate Cromer 1,530 18.5 Dereham 1,280 15.2 Diss 1,155 10.5 Downham Market 933 14.2 Fakenham 910 12.4 Great Yarmouth 6,286 17.0 Hunstanton 1,015 26.5 Kings Lynn 3,397 11.9 North Walsham 909 10.8 Norwich 11,893 *10.3 Attleborough 593 Wymondham 782 Thetford 1,415 *14.4 Swaffham 1,022 Brandon‡ 428 *The rate relates to the combined jobcentre areas i.e. the travel-to-work area. † Brandon is in Suffolk but it is part of the Thetford travel-to-work area.
§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of unemployed and the percentage unemployment for each county in the East Anglian region.
§ Mr. AlisonThe following table gives the numbers of unemployed claimants and the percentage rates of unemployment in each of the counties in East Anglia at 9 December 1982.
Unemployed claimants Percentage rate Cambridgeshire 22,489 10.1 Norfolk 33,120 12.5 Suffolk 23,055 10.1