§ Mr. Ray Powellasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many construction workers were unemployed in Wales, Scotland and England in December 1980 and in the same month for the preceding five years; and if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer for those construction workers out of work in December 1980.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe numbers registered as unemployed are analysed quarterly according to the industry in which the unemployed person last worked and the latest date for which this information is available is 13 November 1980. The following table gives for this date and, where available, for November each year from 1975 the numbers of people registered as unemployed in the areas specified who last worked in the construction industry.
November each year Wales Scotland England 1975 15,864 24,088 144,782 1976 . . . . . . 1977 17,050 29,396 156,631 1978 13,176 24,987 127,916 1979 12,499 24,410 115,270 1980 22,061 39,671 212,543 . . Not available; the total for Great Britain at November 1976 is estimated at 201,000. The cost to the Exchequer of unemployed workers depends upon a variety of circumstances, including the workers' previous earnings, their length of unemployment and marital status. A realistic estimate of the cost to the Exchequer of those construction workers who were unemployed in December cannot, therefore, be given.