§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment, further to the reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, Official Report, 6 August, column 116, if he will now estimate the net cost of employing all the unemployed, assuming a wage of £65 a week.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 1 December c. 3 1980]: Using the same assumptions that were used in the previous calculations, including benefit levels of £26.50 and April 1980 unemployment figures, the net cost would be:
All ages 18 and over £ £ 1,225 million 1,132 million