HC Deb 08 July 1959 vol 608 cc134-5W
Mr. T. Fraser

asked the Minister of Labour the increase in the numbers in civil employment in England and Wales and Scotland, respectively, during the period commencing October, 1951, till the latest available date; and what increase would be needed in Scotland to give Scotland her population share in the increase in Great Britain during the same period.

Mr. Iain Macleod

Statistics of employees are available for Scotland for the end of May only of each year. Owing to a change in the method of estimating the figures that was made in 1955 it is not possible to make an exact comparison between 1951 and 1958, but the figures show that there was an increase of over 900,000 in the numbers of employees in employment in England and Wales, whereas the total for Scotland showed little change. The total number of employees in Scotland in 1951 was approximately 10 per cent. of the total for Great Britain, and on this basis its share of the increase would have been about 90,000.