§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in order the 20 towns or cities with the highest level of unemployment at the most recent count, stating the percentage of the working population who were unemployed against each town or city.
§ Mr. John FraserRates of unemployment relate to either single employment office areas or to travel-to-work areas comprising groups of employment office areas. The rates are calculated by expressing the numbers unemployed as percentages of the estimated number of employees, employed and unemployed. The following table sets out the information available:
Employment Office or travel-to-work area Percentage rate of unemployment Stornoway 15.8 Lesmahagow 13.1 Pembroke Dock 11.9 Stranraer 11.5 Ystradgynlais* 11.5 Blaenau Ffestiniog 11.2 Helston 11.2 Holyhead* 11.0 Blyth 10.2 Campbeltown 10.2 Bargoed* 10.1 Caernarvon* 10.1 Cardigan 10.1 Cumbernauld 10.1 Newton Stewart 9.9 Sanquhar 9.9 Wrexham* 9.9 Lanark 9.8 Liverpool* 9.6 Wick 9.5 * Travel-to-work area