HC Deb 25 July 1966 vol 732 cc182-3W
Mr. Biffen

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish a monthly estimate based on sampling techniques of the number of adult unemployed whose skills and aptitudes make them readily available for employment.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

Each quarter occupational analyses of all registered wholly unemployed men and women in Great Britain are summarised in the "Ministry of Labour Gazette" and regional figures are published in "Statistics on Incomes, Prices, Employment and Production". Detailed analyses are available on request.

All registered unemployed are available for employment and it is not practicable to classify registrants by their aptitudes for employment.

Monthly figures are available for a selected list of skilled engineering occupations and for all construction industry workers analysed by occupation. The June 1966 figures are being sent to the hon. Member and their regular publication is being considered.

Mr. Higgins

asked the Minister of Labour what the unemployment figures were in absolute and percentage terms in what are each of the present development districts, the average for the development districts as a whole and the corresponding figures for the United Kingdom at the latest convenient date, and at the same date in each of the preceding 10 years, respectively.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

Development districts were established in 1960 under the Local Employment Act of that year. The information requested has been published monthly in the Ministry of Labour Gazette since April 1960 in relation to the area designated as development districts at the relevant dates. With per-

Development Districts United Kingdom
… … … … … … Total Unemployed Percentage Total Unemployed Percentage
June, 1966 … … … … … … 100,189 2.6 291,674 1.2
June, 1965 … … … … … … 99,383 2.8 305,334 1.3
June, 1964 … … … … … … 128,500 3.7 354,214 1.5
June, 1963 … … … … … … 176,279 5.2 516,135 2.2
June, 1962 … … … … … … 111,603 4.3 431,883 1.9
June, 196:1 … … … … … … 90,619 3.2 299,392 1.3
June, 1960 … … … … … … 105,426 3.8 334,683 1.5