§ Mr. Laurance Reedasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the travel-to-work areas in the country which have experienced a higher percentage increase in unemployment than Bolton and district during the past 12 months, giving the percentages in each case.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithBetween January, 1971, and January, 1972, the total number of people registered as unemployed in the Bolton, Farnworth, Horwich and West Houghton travel-to-work area increased by 172.0 per cent. This was exceeded only by the Dudley, Cradley Heath, Halesowen, Stourbridge and Tipton travel-to-work area for which the increase was 174.3 per cent. However, of the total register in January, 1972, of 6,941 in the Bolton travel-to-work area, 1,724 were temporarily stopped as compared with 61 in January, 1971. The numbers wholly unemployed in the travel-to-work area rose by 109.4 per cent. between January, 1971, and January, 1972.