§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Minister of Technology to what extent he estimates that the percentage of insured workers in Wales who are unemployed has been brought nearer the English percentage by Government policy during the last six years; and by when he estimates the percentages in both countries will be level.
§ Mr. Varley:The proportion of wholly unemployed in Wales in relation to the rate for England has moved as follows over the last six years.
412W
1964 … … … … 180 1965 … … … … 225 1966 … … … … 235 1967 … … … … 200 1968 … … … … 185 1969 … … … … 185 Thus there has been a substantial improvement over the last four years which has continued over the first three months of this year. There is little doubt that in the absence of the Government's regional policies the Welsh unemployment differential would have widened.