§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the latest unemployment figures on Merseyside.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 27 October 1980, c. 137]: At 9 October 1980 the provisional number registered as unemployed in the Merseyside special development area was 102,247. This figure includes school leavers and is not adjusted for seasonal variation.
I fully accept that unemployment on Merseyside is much too high. The serious unemployment situation throughout the United Kingdom reflects the impact the world recession is now having in this country as well as many others. There is, however, a great deal we can 278W do to avoid even higher unemployment and to prepare ourselves for the up-turn in world trade. Our main task is to control inflation, but we shall achieve this only if increases in pay are matched by higher output. The faster we do this the better the prospects will be for more jobs on Merseyside and elsewhere.
In the meantime Merseyside is retaining its special development area status so that it will still be eligible for the highest levels of regional assistance. And the Government will continue to do everything they can to help those who are hardest hit, particularly young people looking for their first job. The youth opportunities programme, for instance, is being expanded on Merseyside by 26 per cent. in 1980–81.