HC Deb 26 March 1984 vol 57 cc86-7W
Mr. Peter Robinson

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of those unemployed at the latest convenient date in Northern Ireland found employment within three months of registering as unemployed; and if he will provide a breakdown of the figures by age group.

Mr. Butler

The information is not available in the form requested. Of those who ceased to be recorded as unemployed in the three-month period up to 12 January 1984, 15,297 had been unemployed for less than three months. A breakdown of this figure by age group is as follows:

Age Numbers
Under 17 1,230
17 1,371
18 1,288
19 1,055
20–24 3,715
25–29 2,168
30–34 1,349
35–39 970
40–44 669
45–49 526
50–54 387
55–59 324
60+ 245

Mr. Peter Robinson

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the approximate number of unemployed persons at the latest available date covered by (a) the Holywood road branch and (b) the Knockbreda branch of the Department of Health and Social Services; how this figure compares with the statistics for these offices in each of the last five years; and if he will express these figures as a percentage of the working population in these areas.

Mr. Butler

The number of unemployed claimants at these two offices at February 1984 and at February in each of the last five years were as follows:

Knockbreda Holywood Road
1984 3,307 4,609
1983 3,076 4,416
1982 2,652 3,827
1981 2,382 3,478
1980 1,516 2,275
1979 1,357 2,097

Working population figures are not available for these areas.

Mr. Peter Robinson

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Belfast have been registered as unemployed for more than (a) six months, (b) 12 months, (c) 18 months and (d) 24 months.

Mr. Butler

The number of persons recorded as unemployed by duration in the Belfast travel-to-work area, at 12 January 1984, is as follows; the figures for the later duration periods periods being subsumed within the earlier ones.

Number
(a) More than 6 months 33,540
(b) More than 12 months 23,597
(c) More than 18 months 17,340
(d) More than 24 months 13,024