HC Deb 21 May 1984 vol 60 cc343-4W
Mr. Jack Thompson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the numbers of young people under the age of 20 years who are currently unemployed in (a) mid-Northumberland and (b) the norther region; and how these figures compare with April 1979 and April 1982.

Mr. Alan Clark

Information about the age of the unemployed is available quarterly with the latest figures relating to April 1984. The following table gives, for the Morpeth travel-to-work area, which corresponds closely to Mid-Northumberland, and the North region, the number of registered unemployed aged under 20 years at April 1979 and April 1982. It also gives, for the same areas, the number of unemployed claimants aged under 20 years at April 1984, together with the figures on both bases for October 1982.

Morpeth travel-to-work area North region
Registered unemployed
April 1979 649 16,775
April 1982 1,743 39,163
October 1982 2,251 47,681
Unemployed claimants
October 1982 2,036 46,013
April 1984 1,670 39,961

Mr. Gareth Wardell

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report, for each county in England and Wales, the percentage of those unemployed who have been out of work for more than one year, together with the corresponding number of places available on the community programme.

Mr. Peter Morrison

Figures for the allocation of Community Programme places on a county basis are not available. The information given in the table below is for the Manpower Services Commission's employment services regions.

Percentage of unemployed claimants in regions who had been unemployed for more than 52 weeks as at April 1984 with community programme regional allocation of places
Regions Unemployed claimants per cent. Places allocated
London 35.4 12,430
South east 32.0 13,300
South west 32.1 7,670
Midlands 42.8 25,640
Wales 40.7 9,000
North west (including Cumbria) 42.8 20,600
Yorks and Humberside 39.6 13,700
Northern 43.7 11,500

Mr. Winnick

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been unemployed for 12 months and over; what was the number in May 1979; if he will give the change in percentage terms; and in what region there has been the largest increase.

Mr. Alan Clark

The current statistics of duration of unemployment are not directly comparable with those for 1979 because of the October 1982 change in the basis of the count and the 1983 Budget provisions. The following table gives the available information.

Number unemployed for over 52 weeks: United Kingdom
Thousands
Registrations
April 1979 366.7
October 1982 1,169.6
Percentage change 219.0
Claimants
October 1982 989.3
April 1984 1,218.2
Percentage change 23.0

The 1983 Budget provisions resulted in an estimated 125,000 men aged 60 and over, who had been unemployed for over 52 weeks, no longer having to sign on.

An analysis by region suggests that the largest percentage increase occurred in the West Midlands.