§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for unemployment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GoldingAt 9th March. 1,398,986 people were registered as unemployed in Great Britain.
On 15th March my right hon. Friend announced additional special measures, including extensions to the scope of the small firms employment subsidy and the job release scheme, and the setting up of a scheme to subsidise short-time working.
§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report those employment exchanges in intermediate, assisted or special development areas which had a male unemployment rate lower than the average for the Isle of Wight for the month of January 1978.
§ Mr. Golding,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 20th March 1978], gave the following information:
The following table shows the employment office or travel-to-work areas in assisted areas with male unemployment rates lower than that for the Isle of Wight —10.9 per cent. —at 12th January:
Development Areas other than Special Development Areas
Launceston, St. Austell, Alnwick, Barnard Castle, Carlisle, Hexham, Morpeth, Penrith, Darlington*, Furness*, Teesside*, Durham South West*, Kendal*, Grimsby*, Banff, Brechin, Castle Douglas, Cupar, Elgin, Eyemouth, Forfar, Fort William, Fraserburgh, Galashiels, Haddington, Huntley, Inverness, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Montrose, Peebles, Peterhead, St. Andrews, Thurso, Dumfries*, Dunfermline*, Edinburgh*, Falkirk*, Hawick*, Perth*, Stirling, Aberystwyth, Barmouth, Brecon, Carmarthen, Llandeilo, Llandrindod Wells, Llanwrst, Newtown, Welshpool, Cardiff*, Llanelli*, Pontypool*, Port Talbot*, Shotton*, Swansea*.
Special Development Areas
St. Helens, Widnes*, Paisley*, Shotts, Arbroath, Dundee, Kirkcaldy*, Bathgate*, Ashington, Cramlington, Durham, Haltwhistle, Bishop Auckland*, Millom, Whitehaven*, Workington*, Aberdare, Ebbw Vale*, Merthyr Tydfil*, Neath*, Pontypridd*, Ystradgynlais*.
Intermediate Areas
Barnoldswick, Chester, Clitheroe, Congleton, Macclesfield, Accrington*, Ashton-underLyme*, Blackburn*, Bolton, Burnley*, Bury*, 754W Crewe*, Lancaster*, Leigh*, Manchester*, Nelson*, Northwich*, Oldham*, Preston*, Rochdale*, Rossendale*. Warrington*, Brig-house, Driffleld, Filey, Goole, Harrogate, Hebden Bridge, Huddersfield, Keighley, Maltby, Malton, Northallerton, Pickering, Richmond, Ripon, Rotherham, Selby, Skipton, Thirsk, Todmorden, Wakefield, Wetherby, York, Barnsley*, Bradford*, Castleford*, Dews-bury*, Doncaster*, Halifax*, Leeds*, Mex-borough*, Scunthorpe*, Sheffield*, Yeadon*, Chepstow, Pontypool*, Newport*, Alfreton, Heanor, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Worksop, Chesterfield*, Buxton*, Gainsborough, Horncastle, Louth, Oakhampton, Plymouth, Oswestry*. Aberdeen*.
* Travel-to-work areas.
§ Mr. Tebbitasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the cumulative percentage increase in unemployment between March 1974 and the latest available date in the United Kingdom, United States of America, France, Japan, Italy and West Germany.
§ Mr. Golding,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 20th March 1978], gave the following information:
Using national definitions, the increases in the seasonally adjusted numbers unemployed between March 1974 and the latest date for which data are available are given below:
Percentage increase United Kingdom (March 1978) … 140 United States (February 1978) … 31 France (February 1978) … 134 Japan (January 1978) … 60 West Germany (February 1978) … 114 An important change in the method of compiling unemployment statistics in Italy prevents a direct comparison between March 1974 and current data. However, this comparison is an arbitrary one; corresponding comparisons from March 1973 for example, would show the following:
Percentage increase United Kingdom … … 108 United States … … 42 France … … 176 Japan … … 76 West Germany … … 382