§ Mr. Boydenasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many miners are still unemployed in the Bishop Auckland travel-to-work 339W area; and how many of them are in receipt of the special mining industry redundancy payments.
§ Mr. DellAt 10th November, 1969, there were in the Bishop Auckland travel-to-work area 841 males registered as wholly unemployed who last worked in coal mining (Minimum List Heading 101 of the Standard Industrial Classification). I am not able to give a precise figure in answer to the second part of the Question, but of 774 redundant mineworkers unemployed at 8th September (the latest date for which I have figures covering this category) 685 were aged 55 and over, and most of these would be eligible for benefit under the Redundant Mineworkers Payments Scheme.