HC Deb 28 July 1977 vol 936 cc455-7W
Mr. Sillars

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to set up a Doon Valley sub-district for the purposes of compiling separate unemployment figures for that area of South Ayrshire.

Mr. Golding

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the Employment Service Agency has no plans at this stage to set up a separate Doon Valley sub-district. Unemployment statistics are collected by the local offices of the public employment service as a by-product of their service to job seekers and employers. The statistics collected by the jobcentre at Ayr include unemployed people who live in the Doon

Thousands
(a) (b) (c)
School leavers available for employment University leavers available for employment Work permits issued to overseas nationals
1967 541 17 60
1968 546 21 60
1969 550 21 63
1970 547 21 63
1971 543 21 55
1972 571 24 43
1973 314 27 36
1974 612 28 32
1975 612 30 30
1976 624 31 n.a.

(a) School Leavers.—The figures relate to those "available for employment" rather than those entering employment. and they include those registering as unemployed. The figures are from the school leaver census which is completed

subject to this Act. A similar adjustment is made in respect of the figures quoted for employees subject to the Factories Act within the manufacturing and construction industries (SIC Orders III—XX inclusive). These reduced figures are used to calculate the incidence rates shown.

Valley with which it shares a common travel-to-work area.

Mr. Hal Miller

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people entered employment for the first time in each of the last 10 calender years; and how many of these were school leavers, university leavers, and immigrants with work permits, respectively.

Mr. Golding,

pursuant to his reply [Official report 20th July 1977; Vol, 935, c. 594], gave the following information

Although the required information is not available some limited but relevant data for Great Britain are given below, with appropriate qualifications.

by the head of the school. The "available for employment" category includes many cases where the head has no information about a pupil's aspiration for further education. Special schools and certain independent schools are not covered by the figures; it has been estimated recently that for full coverage, the figures should be increased by about 4 per cent.

(b) University Leavers.—These figures include all those receiving a first or higher degree who are known to be entering permanent employment by the university careers advisory service, except for those who obtain B.Ed degree.

(c) Work Permits.—Besides work permits for immigrants, the figures include short-term work permits issued for student employees, seasonal workers, etc.

There is a break in the series between 1972 and 1973. Prior to 1973 EEC nationals required work permits, but not subsequently; the numbers who applied for and obtained residence permits after six months stay were 6,402, 5,769, 4,680 and 3,940 for the years 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976 respectively.

Before 1973, Commonwealth nationals did not require work permits, but did so subsequently. However, under the employment voucher scheme for Commonwealth citizens, there were no permissions given by the Department of Employment comparable to those under the work permit schemes.