§ Mr. Leightonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed there are in each of the five London dockland boroughs; what percentage of the total work force this represents; how many unemployed are under 25 years; how many in each borough have been unemployed for over (a) 12 months, (b) 24 months and (c) 36 months; and what were the comparable figures in 1979.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe following tables give the available information for the jobcentre areas which correspond most closely to the London boroughs specified. The Department's percentage rates of unemployment are calculated only for complete travel-to-work areas, which are broadly self-contained labour markets. London boroughs do not satisfy this criterion, and rates of unemployment are not, therefore, calculated for these areas.
The information in the tables is for the latest available dates and for the corresponding months in 1979. Figures are also given for October 1982 on both registration and claimants bases. The comparisons are affected by the change in the basis of the unemployment count in October 1982 and by the 1983 Budget provisions which meant that some men aged 60 and over no longer had to sign on in order to receive supplementary benefit or national insurance credits.
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Table 1—Total numbers unemployed Registered unemployed Unemployed claimants May 1979 October 1982 October 1982 May 1984 Tower Hamlets (Poplar and Stepney jobcentre areas) 5,603 12,812 10,812 11,395 Newham (East Ham, Plaistow and Stratford jobcentre areas) 5,408 16,038 16,397 18,011 Southwark (Bermondsey, Borough and Camberwell jobcentre areas) 7,715 20,085 17,319 20,311 Greenwich (Eltham and Woolwich jobcentre areas) 3,972 12,454 11,248 12,036 Lewisham (Deptford and Lewisham jobcentre areas) 5,869 18,226 15,367 17,108
Table 2—Unemployed aged under 25 years Registered unemployed Unemployed claimants April 1979 October 1982 October 1982 April 1984 Tower Hamlets 1,158 3,485 3,314 3,397 Newham 1,693 5,099 6,587 6,951 Southwark 2,325 6,793 7,046 8,030 Greenwich 1,280 3,803 4,654 4,693 Lewisham 1,940 6,399 6,713 6,895
Table 3 Duration of unemployment Unemployed for over 52 and up to 104 weeks Unemployed for over 104 and up to 156 weeks Unemployed for over 156 weeks TOWER HAMLETS Registered unemployed April 1979 866 360 386 October 1982 2,414 867 612 Unemployed claimants October 1982 2,050 821 652 April 1984 2,495 1,290 1,186 NEWHAM Registered unemployed April 1979 703 280 297 October 1982 3,754 1,256 484 Unemployed claimants October 1982 3,071 1,182 580 April 1984 3,523 1,785 1,636 SOUTHWARK Registered unemployed April 1979 1,241 431 443 October 1982 4,137 1,473 972 Unemployed claimants October 1982 3,460 1,313 786 April 1984 4,151 2,137 2,135 GREENWICH Registered unemployed April 1979 532 166 221 October 1982 2,521 874 554 Unemployed claimants October 1982 1,999 792 424 April 1984 2,280 1,290 1,010 LEWISHAM Registered unemployed April 1979 781 254 383 October 1982 3,736 1,201 748 Unemployed claimants October 1982 2,808 1,045 500 April 1984 3,375 1,802 1,551