§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were registered as unemployed in (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. Allan Stewart[pursuant to his reply, 9 June 1986, c. 29]: On 8 May 1986 the number of unemployed people claiming benefit in (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow parliamentary constituency, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland was 8,841, 193,279 and 351,572 respectively. Comparisons with previous years are not possible because of the several changes in the way unemployment statistics have been compiled since 1979. The information is however available in the Library for the corresponding month of previous years.
§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many vacancies were available in job centres in (a) 671W Scotland, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Greenock and Port Glasgow in May 1979, June 1983 and at the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Allan Stewart[pursuant to his reply, 9 June 1986, c. 29]: On 8 May 1986, the latest date for which information is available, the number of vacancies recorded in jobcentres in Scotland, Strathclyde region and Greenock and Port Glasgow was respectively 20,593, 9,078 and 363. Figures for earlier dates are available in the Library; they are not comparable with the latest information because of changes in the way the statistics are compiled. It is estimated that approximately one-third only of existing vacancies overall are notified to jobcentres.
§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what specific plans he has to reduce youth unemployment in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Greenock and Port Glasgow.
§ Mr. Allan Stewart[pursuant to his reply, 9 June 1986, c. 29]: Employment prospects for all unemployed people in Strathclyde and the hon. Member's constituency will best be enhanced, as they will in Scotland as a whole, by improvements in the climate for investment and the encouragement of industrial competitiveness which the Government's policies are designed to achieve.
In the short term, all the Government's employment and training measures, which were considerably expanded in this year's budget, are available to eligible young people in Strathclyde and in Greenock and Port Glasgow.
Among these the recently introduced new workers scheme will boost employmen opportunities for young people by offering employers a possible financial incentive to recuit those uner the age of 21.
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§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the level of youth unemployment in the Greenock travel-to-work area at the latest date for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures in 1979 and subsequent years.
§ Mr. Allan Stewart[pursuant to his reply, 9 June 1986, c. 29]: In April 1986, the latest date for which information is available, the number of unemployed people aged under 18 in the Greenock and Port Glasgow travel-to-work area was 637. Because of the various changes in the way unemployment statistics have been compiled since 1979, comparisons with previous years would be misleading. The information is, however, available in the Library for the corresponding month (representing end quarter compilations) of previous years.
§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the level of long-term unemployment in Greenock and Port Glasgow at the latest date for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures in 1979 and subsequent years.
§ Mr. Allan Stewart[pursuant to his reply, 9 June 1986. c. 29]: In April 1986, the latest date for which information is available, the number of unemployed people in the Greenock and Port Glasgow parliametary constituency claiming benefit who had been unemployed for 52 weeks or more was 3,925. Because of various changes in the way unemployment statistics have been compiled since 1979, comparisons with previous years would be misleading. The information is however available in the Library for the corresponding month (representing end quarter compilations) of previous years.