HC Deb 28 April 1982 vol 22 cc307-8W
Mr. Ernie Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average length of time a person in Scotland spent on the unemployment register in the latest year.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

Information is not available in the precise form requested. The median length of time spent on the unemployment register by persons still unemployed on the date of the count in January 1982—the latest date for which information is available—was 28.1 weeks.

Miss Joan Lestor

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the most recent numbers of registered unemployed women in Scotland by region; what were the figures for the same date in 1979; and what are the respective increases in percentage terms.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

The information is set out in the following table:

Numbers of Females Registered as Unemployed
Region April 1982 April 1979 Percentage increase
Borders 1,112 451 146.6
Central 5,705 3,092 84.5
Dumfries and Galloway 2,715 1,659 63.7
Fife 6,200 3,776 64.2
Grampian 5,359 2,685 99.6
Highland 3,501 2,268 54.4
Lothian 13,268 6,707 97.8
Strathclyde 57,058 32,330 76.5
Tayside 8,199 4,513 81.7
Orkney 194 93 108.6
Shetland 190 76 150.0
Western Isles 390 247 57.9
Scotland 103,891 57,897 79.4

Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people, males and females, respectively, were unemployed in each employment exchange in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in April 1982.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

The information is set out in the following table.

Numbers registered as unemployed on 15 April 1982
Males Females Total
Edinburgh* 4,200 2,648 6,848
Edinburgh† 6,214 2,076 8,290
Edinburgh‡ 955 481 1,436
Leith 3,593 1,152 4,745
Portobello 2,320 753 3,073
Dalkeith 1,893 935 2,828
Loanhead 934 316 1,250
Musselburgh 2,101 986 3,087
Penicuik 429 318 747
Notes: Edinburgh:
* South St. Andrew Street Jobcentre
† Shandwick Place Jobcentre
‡Western Hailes Jobcentre

Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people, expressed numerically and as a percentage, were unemployed in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in April 1982; and what are the corresponding figures for males and females.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

The information is set out in the following table.

Numbers registered as unemployed on 15 April 1982 Percentage rate
Males 22,639 14.2
9,665 7.7
Total 32,304 11.3

Note: The Edinburgh travel-to-work area comprises the five employment office areas within Edinburgh city together with the Dalkeith, Loanhead. Musselburgh and Penicuik employment office areas.