§ 72. Mr. Hamiltonasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the great hardship caused to parents in central Fife by the continued difficulty of securing employment for girls under 18 years of age; and what steps he proposes to take to deal with the problem.
§ Sir W. MoncktonAs my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary told the hon. Member in replies to his Questions on the 21st and 28th October, the Ministry of Labour co-operates closely with the Departments concerned in an endeavour to provide additional employment opportunities for women and girls in this area.
§ 73. Mr. Hamiltonasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the percentage rate of registered unemployed in Scotland is approximately 75 per cent. higher than the average for Great Britain as a whole; that this position has prevailed for some considerable time; and what special steps he proposes to remedy the situation.
§ Sir W. MoncktonYes. Unemployment in Scotland at the last date for which figures have been published is at the rate of 3.2 per cent. Nearly two-thirds of this unemployment is in the Scottish Development Area which will benefit by all the assistance which it is practicable for my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to give under the Distribution of Industry Acts.
§ 74. Mr. Hamiltonasked the Minister of Labour how many dockers were unemployed in Scotland on the latest date for which figures are available; and what were the corresponding figures for each of the last four years.
§ Sir W. MoncktonIn the week ending 22nd November, the average daily surplus of registered dock workers in Scotland was 1,398. The corresponding figures for the years 1948–51 were: 1,558, 1,211, 713 and 1,276.