HC Deb 25 July 1977 vol 936 cc60-1W
Mr. Madel

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average number of people unemployed in the South Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency in each of the past 10 years.

Mr. Golding

The following table shows the numbers unemployed in the area covered by the Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard employment offices at June and December in the last 10 years. The numbers unemployed in local areas are not available on an annual average basis.

June 1967 281
December 1967 310
June 1968 217
December 1968 228
June 1969 191
December 1969 282
June 1970 227
December 1970 381
June 1971 441
December 1971 676
June 1972 633
December 1972 477
June 1973 339
December 1973 313
June 1974 406
December 1974 *
June 1975 919
December 1975 1,426
June 1976 1,664
December 1976 *
June 1977 1,620

* No figures are available for December 1974 and 1976 because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group.

Mr. Madel

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average number of school leavers and young people unemployed in the South Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency in each of the past 10 years.

Mr. Golding

The only months for which the numbers of unemployed school leavers are available for local areas throughout the whole of the period are June and December. The number of young people under 20 years of age are obtained from an analysis made in January and July. In the table below this information is given for the area covered by the Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard employment offices.

Nos. of unemployed school leavers
June 1967
December 1967
June 1968 1
December 1968
June 1969
December 1969
June 1970 1
December 1970 3
June 1971 2
December 1971 1
June 1972 3
December 1972
June 1973
December 1973 1
June 1974 1
December 1974 ..*
June 1975 19
December 1975 66
June 1976 234
December 1976 ..*
June 1977 202
* No figures are available for January 1974 because of the energy crisis and for December 1974, January 1975 and December 1976 because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group.

Nos. of unemployed young people under 20 years of age
January 1967 51
July 1967 61
January 1968 40
July 1968 29
January 1969 23
July 1969 21
January 1970 33
July 1970 31
January 1971 69
July 1971 82
January 1972 92
July 1972 77
January 1973 50
July 1973 26
January 1974 ..*
July 1974 48
January 1975 ..*
July 1975 315
January 1976 303
July 1976 979
January 1977 350
* No figures are available for January 1974 because of the energy crisis and for December 1974, January 1975 and December 1976 because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group.

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