§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the net job loss in Dundee over the past five years.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherThe total number of employees in employment in the Dundee employment office area rose by 1,721 in the period 1972–1977, the latest period for which information is available.
§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment in Dundee.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherWe are deeply concerned about current levels of unemployment, but the problems of Dundee—and of the country as a whole—can be solved only by a fundamental improvement in our economic performance and this is what our policies are designed to achieve.
§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new jobs have been created in Dundee since it 330W was granted special development area status; and how many jobs were lost in the same period.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherComprehensive information is not available in the form requested. However 2,305 new jobs were associated with offers of selective financial assistance made since 14 April 1977 to firms in Dundee under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972, and a further 962 were safeguarded. I have been informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the number of workers involved in redundancies of 10 or more notified as due to occur in Dundee from April 1977 to May 1980 was 6,020.