§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the current figures for the payment of the regional employment premium, broken down by (a) development area, and (b) according to whether the premium has been paid in respect of men, women, boys or girls; and what are the figures for payment of the REP in respect of part-time workers, also broken down according to area and sex.
§ Mr. BoothThe latest available figures for the payment of REP analysed by development areas are set out below:
Estimated amount of REP paid in the 1974–75 financial year Development Area (£ million) Northern … … … 45 South-West … … … 3 Merseyside … … … 27 Welsh … … … 22 Scottish … … … 57 Total … … … 154 I regret that information giving a breakdown of payments by men, women, boys, girls and part-time workers is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.