§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many temporary employment subsidies are currently being paid in the employment areas of the parliamentary constituency of the Isle of Ely.
§ Mr. GoldingI regret that I am unable to give information in the precise form requested—that is, those currently being paid—as this could be collected only at disproportionate cost. We can say, however, that as at 10th February 1978 the cumulative total of applications approved in the Isle of Ely area, since 24th September 1975 when the scheme was extended to this area, was two, covering 42 workers.
§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of those who left school in the summer of 1977 are still without work in each of the employment areas in the parliamentary constituency of the Isle of Ely; and what were the comparable figures in each of the last four years.
§ Mr. GoldingI regret that the available statistics do not distinguish between different dates of school leaving, but the following are the figures in respect of school leavers under 18 registered as unemployed in January of each year in those career office areas which comprise the parliamentary constituency of the Isle of 247W Ely. In each case the majority of those registered as unemployed in January
1974* 1975† 1976 1977 1978 Ely … … … … … … 4 — 8 7 26 Wisbech including March, Chateris, Whittlesey 2 — 30 52 49 6 — 38 59 75 NOTES * These figures are not strictly comparable since the numbers leaving school in 1973 were much reduced as a result of the raising of the school leaving age in that year. † Figures for January 1975 are not available due to an industrial dispute.