§ Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity, if she will give details of the present unemployment in the city of Aberdeen by trades, sexes and ages of those unemployed; and what steps she plans to reduce the numbers of unemployed persons in Aberdeen.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerApart from seasonal fluctuations, the overall unemployment level in the Aberdeen travel to work area has remained fairly stable over the last few years; the September percentage rate was 1.9 per cent. Male unemployment is still the main problem and my local officers will continue their efforts to help those unemployed to find suitable work and training opportunities.
The answer to the first part of the question is as follows: