HC Deb 23 February 1977 vol 926 cc626-9W
Mr. Sillars

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish figures showing the total unemployed and percentage rates for Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Dundee, Edinburgh and Ayr in January of each year from 1964 to the nearest available date.

Mr. Golding

The first table below shows the numbers of people registered as unemployed in the Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Dundee, Edinburgh and Ayr employment office areas. Unemployment rates can be calculated only for the whole of a travel-to-work area, and these are shown in the second table.

PERCENTAGE RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE TRAVEL-TO-WORK AREAS
North Lanarkshire Kilmarnock Dundee Edinburgh Ayr
January 1964 6.0 3.5 3.1 2.4 4.1
January 1965 3.9 2.6 2.3 2.0 3.8
January 1966 3.0 2.2 2.3 1.8 3.1
January 1967 4.7 3.6 3.0 2.0 4.3
January 1968 5.5 3.6 3.0 2.4 4.8
January 1969 4.9 2.4 2.5 2.9 4.6
January 1970 4.9 2.8 3.8 3.6 4.0
January 1971 6.3 4.1 6.0 4.4 4.1
January 1972 9.2 6.0 8.1 4.9 5.0
January 1973 7.8 5.0 6.0 4.1 4.1
January 1974 5.0 3.6 4.4 3.6 3.7
January 1976 8.9 6.9 7.5 5.3 7.5
January 1977 10.6 8.7 8.8 6.6 9.8

Because of industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency information for January 1975 is not available.

Rates of unemployment are calculated for travel-to-work areas as a whole but not separately for their constituent parts. Motherwell employment office area forms part of the North Lanarkshire travel-to-work area, which also includes the employment office areas of Airdrie, Bellshill, Blantyre, Carluke, Coatbridge, East Kilbride, Hamilton, Larkhall, Uddingston and Wishaw. The Kilmarnock travel to-work area also includes the employment office area of Newmilns. Edinburgh employment office area forms part

Stoke-on-Trent travel-to-work area Leek employment office
Total number unemployed Percentage rate Total number unemployed Percentage rate
February 1977* 7,565 3.7 479 3.5
February 1976 7,241 3.6 620 4.6
*February 1977 figures are provisional.

While unemployment in North Stafford shire is now higher than it was a year ago, despite the drop in Leek, there has been a welcome decrease over the past month. North Staffordshire should continue to benefit from the various measures which the Government has taken to alleviate unemployment; so far, an estimated 3,500 persons have been assisted there by means of the job creation and work experience programmes, the temporary employment subsidy, and the recruitment subsidy and youth employment subsidy schemes. In addition, it is hoped to train over 800 people in North Staffordshire during 1977 under the training opportunities scheme.

Mr. David Price

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the figures for the number of registered unemployed of the Edinburgh travel-to-work area, which also includes the employment office areas of Dalkeith, Leith, Loanhead, Musselburgh, Portabello, Tranent and Penicuik. The Ayr travel-to-work area also includes the employment office area of Troon.

Mr. Forrester

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the unemployment figures for each travel-to-work area in North Staffordshire for the latest available date and for one year earlier; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Golding

Following are the unemployment statistics requested:

and for the number of notified vacancies for Eastleigh, Hampshire, for the month of January for each year since 1970.

Mr. Golding

Following is the information available.

EASTLEIGH EMPLOYMENT OFFICE AREA
Notified vacancies remaining unfilled
Numbers unemployed At employment office At careers office
January 1970 389 92 77
January 1971 424 79 103
January 1972 447 62 97
January 1973 381 202 118
January 1974 232 381 186
January 1975 .. .. ..
January 1976 774 51 24
January 1977 787 .. 40

Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group information for January 1975 is not available and the count of unfilled vacancies in January 1977 was incomplete.

The vacancy statistics relate only to vacancies notified to employment offices and careers offices, and are not a measure of total vacancies. Because of possible duplication the two series should not be added together.