HC Deb 19 June 1980 vol 986 cc622-3W
Mr. Winnick

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers of closures which were notified to his Department in the West Midlands region 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 260 establishments in the West Midlands region 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 (1) what is the total number registered as unemployed in the West Midlands region ; and how many have been unemployed longer than three months, six months and nine months, respectively ;

(2) how many of those unemployed in the West Midlands area are under 21 years ; and how many have been unemployed for longer than three months, six months, and one year respectively.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 17 June 1980, c. 422] : Following is the information for the West Midlands region at 10 April, the latest date for which the quarterly age and duration analysis is available. The analysis identified those aged under 20 years but not those under 21 years of age.

Duration of unemployment in weeks Aged under 20 Total
Up to 13 14,937 55,283
Over 13 and up to 26 4,609 25,930
Over 26 and up to 39 2,688 17,029
Over 39 and up to 52 1,625 10,135
Over 52 1,468 34,619
Total 25,327 142,996

Mr. Winnick

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies were notified to his Department for the West Midlands region 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 West Midlands region involved 101,246 employees at 1,512 establishments.

During the same period 19,287 redundancies at 321 establishments were formally withdrawn.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 West Midlands region in the same period was 28,797. 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.

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