§ Mr. Harold Walkerasked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the reasons why, on 22 January, she quoted 1.4 million as the level of unemployment when she took office, in the light of the fact that the Employment Gazette gave the level in the United Kingdom on 10 May 1979 as 1,299,300; and why, in the same answer, Official Report, column 420, she gave the December 1980 figures of unemployment as 2,133,000 in the light of the fact that the Department of Employment press notice gave the figure as 2,244,000; and if she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterIn my answer on 22 January I quoted the April 1979 total of 1,340,595 as the unemployment figure when the Government took office. 2,133,000 was the seasonally adjusted total for December 1980; the unadjusted total was 2,244,229.