§ Mr. Peter BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of constituencies in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England has lower percentage unemployment than in June 1987; and what proportion of constituencies that have had coal mines closed in the past six years has lower percentage unemployment now than in June 1987 compared with other constituencies.
§ Mr. McLoughlinUnemployment rates are not available below the level of travel-to-work area (TTWA). In September 1992, the latest date for which claimant unemployment figures are available, the proportions of travel-to-work areas that had lower percentage rates of 713W unemployment than in June 1987 were as follows: 100 per cent. in Northern Ireland, 97 per cent. in Wales, 97 per cent. in Scotland and 51 per cent. in England.
Information categorising coal mine closures by their TTWA is currently available only for the past four years; 95 per cent. of TTWAs which have had coal mines closed over the past four years had lower unemployment rates in September 1992 than in June 1987. The corresponding proportion for other TTWAs was 62 per cent.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if she will publish the average percentage rate of unemployment for 1991–92 for each travel-to-work area in the United Kingdom;
(2) if she will publish the average percentage rate of unemployment during the five-year period commencing August 1987 to August 1992 for each travel-to-work area in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe information requested can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library.