HC Deb 19 December 1985 vol 89 cc300-1W
Mr. Robert B. Jones

asked the Paymaster General how many of those in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and the Thames Valley who have voluntarily withdrawn their claims to unemployment benefit as a result of the recent benefit fraud exercise were previously registered as unemployed in the Hertfordshire, West constituency.

Mr. Alan Clark

Twenty nine people who were claiming unemployment benefit within the Hertfordshire, West constituency voluntarily withdrew their claims to benefit as a result of the recent fraud exercise in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

Mr. Meacher

asked the Paymaster General what information he has as to the proportion and number of (a) male and (b) female full-time workers (i) nationally and (ii) in each standard ecomomic planning region who earned (1) with overtime and (2) without overtime less than (x) £60 per week in 1979 and (y) £110 per week in 1985.

Mr. Alan Clark

The available information relating to full-time adult employees in the new earnings surveys for April 1979 and April 1985 is as set out:

Percentage earning less than:
£60 per week in 1979 £119 per week in 1985
†Males ‡Females [...]Males [...]Females
Gross weekly earnings*
South East 6.4 41.8 9.0 32.9
East Anglia 10.7 59.3 13.1 51.4
South West 11.8 60.5 14.9 51.1
West Midlands 7.0 56.6 12.8 52.9
East Midlands 8.4 59.8 13.9 55.1
Yorkshire & Humberside 8.6 61.0 13.6 48.6
North West 8.7 58.2 13.0 48.6
North 8.1 60.2 13.1 52.0
England 7.9 52.4 11.8 44.0
Scotland 9.3 59.5 14.2 51.5
Wales 9.9 56.8 14.4 49.9
Great Britain 8.1 53.3 12.1 45.0

Percentage earning less than:
£60 per week in 1979 £119 per week in 1985
†Males ‡Females [...]Males [...]Females
Gross weekly earnings (excluding overtime)*
South East 10.1 44.1 12.9 35.1
East Anglia 19.3 61.2 21.7 53.7
South West 17.4 62.4 21.3 54.0
West Midlands 11.4 58.8 18.7 55.2
East Midlands 14.6 62.6 21.6 57.8
Yorkshire & Humberside 14.4 63.3 20.0 55.2
North West 14.1 60.4 18.5 51.5
North 12.6 62.3 18.0 54.4
England 12.8 54.6 17.1 46.5
Scotland 14.9 62.2 20.7 54.5
Wales 14.5 58.7 19.7 51.7
Great Britain 13.0 55.6 17.6 47.5

*Where earnings were not affected by absence.

† Aged 21 and over.

‡ Aged 18 and over.

[...]On adult rates.

The numbers corresponding to the percentages for Great Britain are estimated to be:

Millions
Males Females Males Females
Gross weekly earnings 0.9 2.8 1.3 2.1
Gross weekly earnings(excluding overtime) 1.5 2.9 1.8 2.2

Mr. Meacher

asked the Paymaster General what was the number and rate per 1,000 of the population of people unemployed (a) nationally, (b) in each social security region and (c) in each standard economic planning region in each year from 1979 to the latest available date.

Unemployed claimants—seasonally adjusted excluding school leavers—November each year
Thousands
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate
United Kingdom 1,145.7 4.7 1,844.6 7.6 2,503.8 10.3 2,780.0 11.5 2,947.2 12.3 3,097.1 12.8 3,165.2 13.1
South East 225.0 2.9 380.9 4.9 565.7 7.3 643.2 8.3 698.1 9.0 744.1 9.4 764.5 9.7
East Anglia 27.0 3.7 45.0 6.1 60.9 8.2 71.3 9.6 73.6 9.7 75.7 9.9 80.3 10.5
South West 76.7 4.6 114.7 6.8 152.3 9.0 167.4 9.9 180.0 10.7 194.4 11.4 201.2 11.8
West Midlands 109.4 4.7 201.4 8.6 290.7 12.5 320.3 14.0 329.5 14.6 335.2 14.9 335.9 14.9
East Midlands 62.0 3.8 112.1 6.9 150.2 9.3 166.5 10.3 179.5 11.3 192.3 12.0 195.8 12.3
Yorkshire & Humberside 98.7 4.7 171.7 8.2 231.7 11.1 257.3 12.5 267.6 13.1 285.0 14.0 294.2 14.5
North West 168.2 5.9 265.3 9.3 356.2 12.7 394.7 14.2 419.0 15.1 429.9 15.5 433.8 15.6
North 99.9 7.3 143.8 10.7 184.3 14.1 199.4 15.4 211.2 16.7 225.6 17.9 225.9 17.9
Wales 68.8 6.2 112.4 10.3 142.0 13.2 154.7 14.5 159.1 15.0 170.8 16.0 172.8 16.2
Scotland 154.3 6.8 217.9 9.6 277.0 12.2 300.1 13.2 313.9 14.0 325.9 14.4 336.7 14.9
Northern Ireland 55.6 9.6 79.3 13.6 92.8 16.0 105.1 18.2 115.7 20.0 118.2 20.3 124.0 21.3