HC Deb 20 October 1981 vol 10 cc114-5W
Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Southend, East on 3 February, Official Report, c. 110, he will outline the main reasons why Norway and Austria have suffered from a substantially lower percentage increase in unemployment compared with the United Kingdom and other EEC countries since 1972; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Alison:

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my hon. Friend on 3 February.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the main reasons for the United Kingdom suffering from a more substantial percentage increase in unemployment than other members of the EEC since 1972; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Alison:

The United Kingdom has in fact since 1972 experienced a smaller percentage increase in unemployment than several other member States of the European Community. Circumstances vary a good deal between individual member States; the United Kingdom's unemployment problems largely reflect our lack of competitiveness as well as the effects of world-wide recession.

Mr. Teddy

Taylor asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list the main positive and negative factors which have influenced unemployment levels in Great Britain in consequence of United Kingdom membership of the EEC in 1973; and if he will make a statement;

(2) if the information available to him indicates that the net effect of the United Kingdom's joining the EEC on unemployment levels since 1973 has been positive or negative.

Mr. Alison:

Levels of unemployment in Great Britain since 1973 have been influenced by many factors. Some important factors, such as increases in oil prices, are quite independent of Community membership. It would be neither possible nor realistic to isolate from all influences bearing on employment any which are solely due to our membership of the European Community and to quantify or assign relative weights to them. Factors influencing employment are interactive and it is impossible to demonstrate their effects separately, particularly in relation to the entirely hypothetical situation of the United Kingdom having remained outside the European Community.