HC Deb 13 October 1975 vol 897 cc538-41W
25. Mr. Michael Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give his estimate of the prospects of school leavers obtaining employment in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John Fraser

In present circumstances employment prospects cannot be predicted with any certainty. Job opportunities immediately available are fewer than in recent years, but I expect that the numbers registered as unemployed will continue to decline during the next few months, and that the great majority of school leavers in Wales will have found employment or suitable training by the end of the year. As in other areas, their prospects will be improved by the special measures which the Government have introduced to help them.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the total number of redundancies in Wales notified to the Manpower Services Commission since the beginning of 1975, distinguishing between the different sectors of employment.

Mr. John Fraser

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that redundancies involving some 12,000 people have been notified as due to occur in Wales, for the period 1st January to 30th September 1975. The following table gives a breakdown into extractive, manufacturing and service industries:

Industry Notified Redundancies
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Nil
Extractive 420
Manufacturing 11,020
Services 560
Total 12,000

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest estimate of unemployment and short-time working by planning) subdivision in Wales; and what is the unemployment rate in each year.

Mr. John Fraser

The following table shows the numbers unemployed and percentage rates of unemployment on 8th September 1975, and those known to my

Number unemployed Number on short-time Percentage rate of unemployment
Clwyd—East 7,761 328 9.4
Clwyd—West 3,197 67 8.0
Gwynedd 6,552 91 9.3
Industrial South Wales 50,932 2,805 6.9*
Powys 1,660 44 6.2
West Wales 6,394 56 8.4*
* The percentage rate of unemployment relates to a group of travel-to-work areas which differs slightly from the sub-division.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing unemployment in Wales as a percentage of unemployment in the United Kingdom in September of each year since 1960.

Mr. John Fraser

Following is the information:

Number unemployed in Wales as a percentage of the number unemployed in the United Kingdom.
September 1960 6.7
September 1961 6.1
September 1962 6.4
September 1963 5.7
September 1964 6.4

UNEMPLOYED IN WALES ON 14TH JULY 1975
Duration of unemployment in weeks Males Females
Aged under 20 Aged 20 and under 40 Aged 40 and over Total Aged under 20 Aged 20 and under 40 Aged 40 and over Total
2 or less 3,140 4,234 1,120 8,494 2,668 1,846 229 4,743
Over 2 and up to 4 2,006 3,104 1,038 6,148 1,431 1,145 194 2,770
Over 4 and up to 8 1,008 3,129 1,578 5,715 588 738 207 1,533
Over 8 and up to 13 826 2,873 1,603 5,302 505 610 241 1,356
Over 13 and up to 26 1,273 4,306 2,674 8,253 765 911 538 2,214
Over 26 and up to 52 695 3,653 3,000 7,348 415 627 412 1,454
Over 52 188 2,329 6,054 8,571 92 285 644 1,021
Total 9,136 23,628 17,067 49,831 6,464 6,162 2,465 15,091

The figures are not adjusted to take account of amendments notified on the four days following the count.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of training places now available in Wales under central and local government auspices; and what is the increase over the past year.

Mr. Harold Walker

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that at the end of September 1975 there

Department to have been working short time during the week commencing 8th September.

September 1965 7.7
September 1966 8.0
September 1967 7.0
September 1968 6.9
September 1969 6.9
September 1970 6.0
September 1971 5.6
September 1972 5.7
September 1973 5.9
September 1974 6.5
September 1975 6.1

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for unemployment in Wales analysed by age and duration

Mr. John Fraser

Following is the information:

were 3,102 training places available for vocational trainees under the Training Opportunities Scheme (TOPS) in Wales. This compares with a total of 2,520 places at the end of September 1974.

Places available in colleges of further education are elastic as TOPS trainees can be considered for any suitable college course in addition to the exclusive TOPS courses which are arranged where there is sufficient demand. As college classes are geared to academic terms the number of places available is not constant.

The MSC has no responsibility for local government training such as is given in local authority social services departments' training centres.