HC Deb 21 June 1984 vol 62 cc256-8W
Mr. Ernie Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the average annual number of people unemployed in both Grampian and Tayside regions in each year since 1980.

Mr. Allan Stewart

The information requested is shown in the following table:

Annual average number of people unemployed
Grampian Region Tayside Region
1980 9,860 16,417
1981 14,368 22,835
1982 16,120 24,605
1983 16,468 25,350

Notes:

The figures for 1980, 1981 and 1982 are not directly comparable with the 1983 figures due to the change from a registrant to a claimant based count in October 1982.

The averages for 1982 are based on the first 10 months of that year.

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the number of unemployed in Scotland under 21 years of age in each of the last five years.

Mr. Younger

The information is not available in the precise form requested. The following table shows the average monthly count of unemployed registrants for each year from 1979 to 1982 and the corresponding average of unemployed claimants for 1983 for the age groups 19 years and under, and 20 to 24 years. The figures are not fully comparable due to the change in October 1982 from a registrant to a claimant based count.

Unemployed in Scotland
19 years and under 20 to 24 years
1979 39,453 36,196
1980 48,160 44,932
1981 61,109 63,135
1982 69,858 70,784
1983 70,330 71,294

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of people unemployed in Scotland who have not been in full-time employment since leaving full-time education.

Mr. Younger

On 10 May 1984, the latest date for which information is available, the number of school or student leavers who had not entered employment since completing full-time education and who were claiming benefit in Scotland was 38,366.

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the net gains or losses in jobs in manufacturing industry, mining, railways, steel and shipbuilding and in the service industries in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Mr. Younger

The estimated annual changes in the numbers of employees in employment (in thousands) to mid years are:

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
Manufacturing -3 -40 -55 -32 -29
Service industries +33 +20 -12 +8 +4

These estimates relate to the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification; those for 1982 and 1983 are provisional. Estimates for the other categories are available only for 1981, and this does not allow estimates of net changes for the years above.

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average number of people who have been unemployed in Scotland for one year or more in each of the last five years.

Mr. Younger

The following table shows the average monthly count of unemployed registrants for each year from 1979 to 1982 and of unemployed claimants in 1983 whose duration of unemployment exceeded 52 weeks. The figures are not fully comparable due to the change in October 1982 from a registrant to a claimant based count.

Annual average—Scotland: unemployed for over 52 weeks
Number
1979 45,864
1980 49,187
1981 75,446
1982 114,833
1983 122,234

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of jobs in Scotland in oil-related industry and in downstream activity in each of the last five years.

Mr. Younger

The available information on employment in oil-related industry relates to employment connected with North sea oil and gas. Employment in companies wholly related to North sea oil and gas activity is estimated to have been as follows:

Time series Thousands
December 1983 66.7
June 1983 63.3
June 1982 58.3
June 1981 50.0
June 1980 46.3
June 1979 41.8
June 1978 34.0

Source: Manpower Services Commission and Industry Department for Scotland.

Employment in mineral oil refining in Scotland was 2,400 in June 1978 and 3,300 in September 1981. There is no information available for the intervening years or as yet for more recent years.

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of people employed in offshore construction work in connection with the North sea at the latest date for which figures are available and for the previous five years.

Mr. Younger

The numbers employed in North sea oil-related construction projects, excluding platform construction, are as follows for June and December 1983 and the previous five years:

Number
December 1983 3,650
June 1983 3,658
June 1982 4,800
June 1981 10,180
June 1980 7,700
June 1979 8,200
June 1978 6,600

These numbers are based mainly on the MSC survey returns from companies temporarily involved in oil-related construction projects.

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of people who are unemployed in Scotland whose last known job was in the contruction industry; and what was the number employed in the construction industry in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Mr. Younger

The estimated numbers of employees in employment in the construction industry in Scotland in each of the years 1979 to 1983 were 157,000, 157,0(X), 143,000, 132,000 and 125,000 respectively. The estimate for 1982 and 1983 are provisional. Regular analyses of the unemployed by industry have been discontinued.