§ Mr. Dixonasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report his letter of 5 June to the hon. Member for Jarrow relating to the case of Mr. B. Fox.
§ Mr. Prior: Yes. The following is a copy of my letter :
Thank you for your letter of 13 May enclosing a copy of one from Mr. B. Foy of 56 Jutland Avenue, Hebburn, who is concerned that I was mistaken in my statement in the House on 22 April about the existence of unfilled vacancies in British Rail in the North East.
I have now been advised by the Employment Service Division of the Manpower Services Commission that British Rail have not recently notified any vacancies to ESD Employment Offices or Jobcentres in the Newcastle area, and I was clearly wrong to suggest otherwise.
I was thinking in the House of correspondence which I have had in recent months with a British Railways Board Member who had expressed concern at the existence of significant staff shortages in areas of relatively high unemployment. He had mentioned British Rail's Newcastle Division specifically.
It appears that British Rail's recruitment difficulties in their Newcastle Division have now eased and I apologise if my remarks to Giles Radice gave your constituent reason to believe that a job with British Rail might be in prospect.
I am sending a copy of this correspondence to Giles Radice who raised the issue of unemployment in the North.