HC Deb 19 June 1980 vol 986 cc623-4W
Mr. Winnick

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many closures were notified to his Department in the Walsall travel-to-work area in the 12 months following May 1979.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 17 June 1980, c. 422] : From June 1979 to May 1980 the intended closures of 25 establishments in the Walsall travel-to-work area were notified to the Department of Employment under the redundancy handling provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975.

Employers are not required to notify the Department when proposed closures do not take place.

Mr. Winnick

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies were notified to his Department in the Walsall travel-to-work area in the 12 months following May 1979.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 17 June 1980, c. 422] : From June 1979 to May 1980 the number of proposed redundancies notified to my Department under the redundancy handling provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975, for the Walsall travel-to-work area, involved 61,196 employees at 147 establishments.

During the same period 1,044 redundancies at 36 establishments were formally withdrawn. 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 in the Walsall travel-to-work area in the same period was 1,927. The figures 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.