§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobcentres and employment exchanges there are in England; if he will give the number and the names of those where the unemployment rate is (a) below the national average, (b) between one and two times the average, (c) between two and three times the average and (d) four times or more the national average.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 28th February 1980. c. 645]: There are 715 employment office areas in England for which unemployment statistics are rendered. Unemployment rates can be calculated for areas singly where they are relatively self-contained labour markets. In other cases, employment office areas are combined to form travel-to-work areas. There are in all 282 areas in England for which rates can be calculated and in the following table these are grouped as requested based on information for January 1980 when the rate for England was 5.5 per cent. Travel-to-work areas are marked with asterisks in the table.