§ Mr. Stoddartasked the Secretary of State for Employment what would be the cost of reducing the qualifying ages of the job release scheme from 64 to 60 years for men and from 59 to 55 years for women, assuming that the jobs vacated by those taking advantage of the scheme were filled by people on the unemployment register and in receipt of unemployment or supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
1979 1980 March June September December March June September December* South East 180 157 195 201 172 165 208 320 East Anglia 11 8 7 12 10 11 13 17 South West 30 36 39 25 31 32 47 49 West Midlands 21 20 27 23 33 21 45 35 East Midlands 11 9 12 15 9 11 14 24 Yorkshire and Humberside 14 14 19 20 24 14 24 34 North West 32 32 32 30 28 29 29 58 North 15 14 20 16 17 13 21 27 Wales 24 26 30 30 27 24 40 35 Scotland 43 35 38 34 37 28 38 42 * Latest available.