HC Deb 04 July 1980 vol 987 cc756-7W
Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest number of redundancies notified to his Department since May 1979.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply. 30 June 1980, c. 381]: The number of proposed redundancies notified to my Department under the redundancy handling provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975, from May 1979 to May 1980 inclusive, is 796,189, at 13,841 establishments. There is no statutory requirement to notify my Department when proposed redundancies do not take place.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the number of redundancies, notified to it as due to occur from May 1979 to May 1980 inclusive, involved 278,364 employees.

Both Department of Employment and Manpower Services Commission figures are for redundancies involving 10 or more employees.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 30 June to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Handsworth (Miss Wright) for a fuller explanation of these statistics. [Vol. 987, c. 383–84.]

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies have been notified to his Department in the first four months of 1980 compared with the first four months of 1979 and 1978.

1980 1979 1978
Employees Establishments Employees Establishments Employees Establishments
January … … 76,390 1,348 45,491 709 47,267 1,018
February … … 78,039 1,474 42,913 738 54,291 944
March … … 72,756 1,542 50,114 950 57,421 1,066
April … … 75,445 1,500 39,913 711 47,771 787
Ttoals … … 302,630 5,864 178,431 3,108 206,750 3,815

There is no statutory requirement to notify my Department when proposed redundancies do not take place.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the number of redundancies notified to it as due to occur during the above period is as follows:

Employees
1980 1979 1978
January 24,687 11,805 11,225
February 31,434 9,620 13,025
March 36,966 14,974 12,107
April 26,601 15,682 25,142
Totals 119,688 52,081 61,499

The figures for April 1980 are provisional since some notifications are received late.

Both Department of Employment and Manpower Services Commission figures are for redundancies involving 10 or more employees.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 30 June to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Handsworth (Miss Wright) for a fuller explanation of these statistics. [Vol. 987, c. 383–4.]