§ Mr. Hicksasked the Secretary of Slate for Employment what is the number of persons currently registered as unemployed in the South-West assisted area, the South-West region, Merseyside, Wales, Scotland and the United Kingdom, and the percentage these figures 457W represent of the total labour force; and what are the corresponding figures for January 1972, 1975, 1978 and 1980.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 21 December 1981, Vol. 15, c. 283]: The following table
January 1972 January 1975 January 1978 January 1980 November 1981 Number unemployed Percentage rate of unemployment Number unemployed Percentage rate of unemployment Number unemployed Percentage rate of unemployment Number unemployed Percentage rate of unemployment Number unemployed Percentage rate of unemployment Assisted areas in the South West Region 20,141 6.3 † † 39,879 10.6 35,861 9.6 57,566 15.3 South West Region 61,553 4.1 60,700 3.8 119,161 7.1 99,869 5.9 180,779 10.8 Merseyside Special Development Area 49,859 7.2 † † 82,404 11.9 84,387 12.2 128,709 18.6 Wales 55,296 5.4 47,400 4.5 93,112 8.4 90,864 8.4 170,221 15.7 Scotland 149,750 7.1 102,300 4.7 203,629 9.0 203,232 9.0 325,600 14.4 United Kingdom 971,489 4.2 771,800 3.3 1,548,544 6.4 1,470,571 6.1 2,953,340 12.2 † not available.