§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the percentage of unemployed on Merseyside; and how these percentages compare with other special development areas.
§ Mr. GoldingFollowing is the information at 6th July:
Special Development Area Unemployment rate (per cent) Merseyside 12.6 Dundee and Arbroath 9.3 West Central Scotland 10.5 Girvan 11.5 Leven and Methil and Glenrothes 8.5 Livingston 10.2 North East 10.5 West Cumberland 8.6 South Wales 10.3 North West Wales 10.9
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the recent unemployment figures on Merseyside, particularly among young school leavers.
§ Mr. GoldingProvisional figures show that on 6th July 1978, there were 95,107 persons registered as unemployed in the Merseyside special development area, and that of these, 16,377 were school leavers under 18. This represents an unemployment percentage rate for the area of 12.6 per cent.
The Government recognise that the level of unemployment on Merseyside 818W is still far too high but the area will continue to benefit from the various special employment and training measures which have so far helped some 48,000 people on Merseyside, many of them unemployed young people. In the coming months, the development of the youth opportunities programme will be of particular benefit in providing a wide range of training and work experience opportunities for unemployed young people. In addition, the special temporary employment programme and the recent extension of the small firms employment subsidy will provide further assistance. Also on 17th July 1978 my right hon. Friend announced that an experimental adult employment subsidy will be introduced on Merseyside. This new subsidy scheme is aimed at encouraging the employment of people who have been out of work for 12 months or more and employers in industry, commerce and the nationalised industries on Merseyside will receive a £20 per week subsidy for up to 26 weeks for every eligible person taken into full-time employment.
Because of its status as a special development area, Merseyside will also continue to benefit from the highest levels of regional assistance available under the Industry Act to encourage investment and stimulate employment.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimated numbers of unemployed school leavers on Merseyside who have been unemployed for three months, six months, nine months and 12 months, respectively.
§ Mr. GoldingAt 6th July there were 16,377 school leavers aged under 18 registered as unemployed in the Merseyside special development area. There is no separate analysis for school leavers giving the length of time on the register.
§ Mr. Dunnettasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish figures showing how the level of unemployment in the Nottingham district compares with the national average.
§ Mr. GoldingAt 6th July the unemployment rates for the Nottingham travel-to-work area and for Great Britain were 6.1 per cent. and 6.5 per cent., respectively.