HC Deb 24 May 1973 vol 857 c121W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress is being made in obtaining information about the characteristics of the unemployed.

Mr. Chichester-Clark

The Working Group on Characteristics of the Unemployed, which was set up following the recommendations in the White Paper on Unemployment Statistics, has been examining the information which is available from existing records. My right hon. Friend has now asked it to arrange a sample survey covering the whole country to obtain the further information we need.