HC Deb 08 November 1978 vol 957 cc188-9W
Mr. Leadbitter

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are registered disabled in Hartlepool; and what is the proportion at present unemployed.

Mr. John Grant

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that 1,111 people are currently registered as disabled in Hartlepool. Of these, 173 or 15.6 per cent. were unemployed on 12th October 1978.

Mr. Leadbitter

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered unemployed disabled persons in Hartlepool have been out of work for more than one year.

Mr. John Grant

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that on 6th July 1978, the latest date for which information is available, 81 registered disabled people had been out of work for more than one year in Hartlepool.

Mr. Leadbitter

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men over 55 years of age are registered unemployed in Hartlepool; and what proportion of these has been out of work for more than one year.

Mr. Golding

At 12th October there were 543 men aged 55 and over registered as unemployed in the Hartlepool employment office area. Of these, 34.3 per cent. had been unemployed for more than one year.

Mr. Leadbitter

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies and new jobs were registered in Hartlepool in 1977 and 1978 to the latest available date.

Mr. Golding

In accordance with the provisions of section 100 of the Employment Protection Act 1975, my Department was notified during 1977 of 3,509 redundancies due to take effect in Hartlepool. So far this year the figure is 3,686. For various reasons many of the redundancies which are notified do not in fact take place.

I understand that firms have informed the Manpower Services Commission of plans for expansion involving some 900 new jobs in Hartlepool during the next two or three years. This figure is not comprehensive, as employers are not required to inform the MSC of their plans and equally some of the proposed developments may not come to fruition.