§ 117. Mr. G. Campbellasked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether he has projected any relationship he may have obtained between regional and national unemployment for the period before 1965; and whether he has compared such projection with the actual behaviour of regional unemployment in 1965 and 1966.
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§ 118. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs in which regions and to what extent unemployment has been less in the last two years compared with estimates based on past trends and relationships with national unemployment.
§ Mr. ShoreThe broad indications are that there has been some relative improvement in Scotland and the northern and north-west regions in England.
§ 119 and 120. Mr. Maurice Macmillanasked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (1) whether he has prepared forecasts of regional unemployment for the next year on the basis of forecasts of national unemployment and the forecast pattern of demand;
(2) what he forecasts will be the regional pattern of unemployment over the next year on the basis of forecasts of national unemployment and the forecast pattern of demand.
§ Mr. ShoreForecasting of regional unemployment is very difficult owing to the uncertain relationship with past trends and the impact of recent changes in policy to help the Development Areas. Tentative estimates are however made as part of the Government's economic forecasting system, but it is not the practice to publish the results.