HC Deb 02 April 1979 vol 965 cc517-9W
Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were out of work in each of the employment areas in the Leek parliamentary constituency at the most recent count; and what were the figures in the same month in 1974.

Mr. Golding

In the areas covered by the Leek, Biddulph, Cheadle and Kids-grove employment offices, which together correspond closely to the Leek parliamentary constituency, the number of people registered as unemployed at 8 March 1979 and 11 March 1974 were as follows:

March March
1979 1974
Leek 535 148
Biddulph 295 144
Cheadle 287 117
Kidsgrove 544 235

Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest total

FEMALE EMPLOYEES IN FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AT JUNE EACH YEAR
Biddulph Cheadle Kidsgrove (Thousands) Leek
1971 0.9 1.2 3.1 3.8
1972 1.0 1.3 3.0 3.9
1973 1.1 1.3 3.3 3.9
1975 0.9 1.2 3.1 3.7
1976 1.0 1.1 3.1 3.9

Note: Full-time workers are defined as those normally employed for more than 30 hours per week.

number of vacancies for employment notified to him from the employment offices in the Leek parliamentary constituency; and what were the comparable figures in 1973 and 1974.

Mr. Golding

In the area covered by the Leek, Biddulph, Cheadle and Kidsgrove employment offices, which corresponds closely to the Leek parliamentary constituency, the numbers of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at 2 March 1979 and at comparable dates in 1973 and 1974 were as follows:

Employment offices Careers offices
March 1973 509 79
March 1973 499 205
149 20

The statistics relate only to vacancies notified to employment offices and careers offices; vacancies notified to employment offices are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. Because of possible duplication, the two series should not be added together.

Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many women were in full-time employment in each of the employment areas in the Leek parliamentary constituency on 1 January in 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978 and 1979.

Mr. Golding

Since 1971 information concerning full-time employment has been collected in the annual censuses of employment. The table below shows the number of female employees in full-time employment in the employment office areas concerned for each year for which information is available.

Corresponding figures are not available for 1974 due to difficulties which arose following the reorganisation of local government. Employment estimates for 1970 are based on counts of national insurance cards and do not distinguish between full-time and part-time employment.

Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average number of people unemployed in the Leek parliamentary constituency in each of the past 10 years.

Mr. Golding

The annual average numbers registered as unemployed in local areas cannot be compiled on a comparable basis throughout the period specified. The following table shows the numbers unemployed in the area covered by the Biddulph, Cheadle, Kidsgrove and Leek employment offices at June and December in each of the last ten years. For March 1979 the figure was 1,661.

June December
1969 702 823
1970 750 1,016
1971 1,148 1,356
1972 1,265 1,089
1973 708 547
1974 593 ..
1975 1,192 1,600
1976 1,572 ..
1977 1,529 1,561
1978 1,364 1,331

Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group information for December 1974 and December 1976 is not available.