§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the likely increase in unemployment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BoothWe have not sought to disguise the fact that, whatever measures we take, there is likely to be some further increase in seasonally adjusted unemployment over the next few months, though the Government will, of course, continue to do everything in their power to improve the situation. We cannot expect a 171W sustained and substantial decline in unemployment until inflation has been subdued and world economic activity has revived.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the unemployment rate for each local employment area in Great Britain where the rate exceeds 10 per cent.
§ Mr. John FraserFollowing is the information at January 1976:
172W
Per cent. South East Clacton 12.3 Deal 12.6 Margate 11.2 Sheerness 10.3 East Anglia Cromer 10.6 Hunstanton 12.6 South West Ashburton 11.9 Bude 11.9 Camelford 15.6 Dartmouth 12.7 Falmouth 13.2 Helston 15.7 Honiton 10.5 Ilfracombe 19.1 Kingsbridge 12.4 Liskeard* 14.3 Newquay 13.6 Penzance 14.3 Redruth* 12.1 St. Ives 18.9 Torbay* 12.4 Wadebridge 17.1 West Midlands Market Drayton 11.6 East Midlands Mablethorpe 14.3 Skegness 13.2 Yorkshire and Humberside Dinnington 11.2 Hemsworth* 11.1 Whitby 12.1 North West Liverpool* 11.2 Ormskirk* 11.3
Per cent North Blyth 13.0 Sunderland* 10.7 Wales Bargoed* 12.8 Blaenau Ffestiniog 17.1 Caernarvon* 14.6 Cardigan 16.0 Ebbw Vale* 10.8 Fishguard 11.9 Haverfordwest 10.4 Holyhead* 14.9 Lampeter* 15.1 Llangollen 12.7 Milford Haven 11.8 Monmouth 10.9 Pembroke Dock 17.6 Pwllheli* 13.7 Rhyl 14.6 Tywyn 12.7 Wrexham* 11.4 Ystradgynlais* 12.8 Scotland Campbeltown 12.1 Cumbernauld 12.1 Forres 12.6 Girvan 11.4 Irvine* 10.4 Kilbirnie 11.3 Kilsyth 12.3 Lesmahagow 20.1 Newton Stewart 14.3 North Lanarkshire* 10.3 Portree 13.4 Rothesay 11.7 Sanquhar 13.1 Shotts 10.7 Stornoway 21.6 Stranraer 13.9 Wick 12.7 * Travel-to-work areas.
§ Mr. Anthony Grantasked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the percentage increase in unemployment in each assisted area and each non-assisted area since the boundaries of such areas were last reviewed.
§ Mr. John FraserThe following table shows information for each assisted area 173W separately and for non-assisted standard regions or parts of regions:
Percentage increase in unemployment between September 1974 and January 1976 Development Areas and Special Development Areas South Western DA 193.6 Merseyside SDA 61.2 North Yorkshire DA 139.9 Northern DA 49.6 North East SDA 44.7 West Cumberland SDA 45.0 Scottish DA 82.6 West Central Scotland SDA 69.4 Girvan SDA 90.0 Leven and Methil SDA 78.3 Glenrothes SDA 201.0 Livingston SDA 127.7 Welsh DA 90.0 South Wales SDA 73.3 North West Wales SDA 107.3 Intermediate Areas South Western 123.7 Oswestry 111.3 High Peak 108.2 North Lincolnshire 166.7 North Midlands 68.3 Yorkshire and Humberside 100.4 North West 116.7 North Wales 138.9 South East Wales 113.3 Total, all assisted areas 85.8 Non-assisted standard regions South East 159.5 East Anglia 167.9 South West (part) 149.8 West Midlands (part) 149.2 East Midlands (part) 120.7