§ Mr. Kinnockasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the areas in which the four-week rule now applies, indicating which areas have been added 84W during the last year and give the average unskilled male unemployment rate for each exchange area covered by the rule.
§ Mr. DeanI would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 14th December 1972 which provided the information asked for in the first part of the Question for the period up to 24th October 1972. From that date until 12th December 1972—the last available statistical period—the only alteration reported was in Hereford, where the rule ceased to apply on 4th December 1972. The information asked for in the second part of the Question is not available but, as the hon. Member will know, the control operates only in areas where the Department of Employment considers that unskilled work can be obtained without difficulty. The situation in each area is always kept under review and control arrangements are varied accordingly.—[Vol. 848, c.203–4.]