HC Deb 01 February 1977 vol 925 cc154-5W
33. Mr. Newton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if it is his policy to encourage unemployed persons seeking employment through jobcentres to take jobs in which their take-home pay would be less than they would receive if they remained unemployed.

Mr. Golding

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it is not the Employment Service Agency's policy to pay regard to the amount of unemployment benefit which may be in payment when submitting unemployed people to jobs. They are submitted on the basis of their skills, qualifications, previous experience and stated requirements.

45. Mr. Henderson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers and percentages of unemployed persons in the following countries at the most recent convenient date: England Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Iceland, and Finland.

Mr. Golding

The information is given in the table below. Figures for Iceland are not available. The figures for the different countries are not directly comparable owing to differences in the concept of unemployment, coverage and methods of compilation.

37. Mr. Jessel

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are now unemployed.

43. Miss Fookes

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest unemployment statistics.

Mr. Booth

At 13th January the provisional number of people registered as unemployed in Great Britain was 1,390,218.