§ Mr. Murphyasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will reconsider the inclusion of the Welwyn Hatfield constituency in the revised travel-to-work area of Luton and Watford; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkNo. The Welwyn Hatfield constituency, with the exception of the Wheathampstead ward, which is in the Watford and Luton travel-to-work area, forms part of the Hertford and Harlow travel-to-work area. The relevant travel-to-work area boundary is based on an analysis of the travel to work pattersn shown by the 1981 census of population as described in a supplement published with the September edition ofEmployment Gazette, a copy of which is in the Library.
The census data show that the part of the constituency which is in the Hertford and Harlow travel-to-work area has more work journeys to or from the rest of that travel-to-work area than to or from the Watford and Luton travel-to-work area. The same source shows that there are more journeys between Wheathampstead and the rest of the Watford and Luton travel-to-work area than between Wheathampstead and the Hertford and harlow travel-to-work area.