§ Mr. Peter Millsasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will publish as a normal routine the age analysis of wholly unemployed in the Bideford Employment Exchange area month by month to give a complete picture of the position.
§ Mr. FernyhoughNo. Detailed age analyses of the registered wholly un-172W employed are made in January and July only. Information for local areas is available on request but there is insufficient space in the Employment and Productivity Gazette to publish more than the national and regional figures.
§ Mr. Peter Millsasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity in view of the heavy unemployment figure of elderly people in the Bideford area, what steps she proposes to assist them into employment so as to reduce the number of unemployed and fill vacancies in the new factories.
§ Mr. FernyhoughIt is the longstanding practice of our local officers to attempt to persuade employers who impose an upper age limit when notifying their labour requirements to consider people on their merits and ability to do the job rather than on their age.
Every opportunity will continue to be taken to bring to the notice of both existing employers and any others setting up new establishments in the Bideford area the availability of older persons who are suitable for the vacancies notified.