§ Mr. Home Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an estimate of the percentage and total number of people resident in the west sector of East Lothian who were unemployed at the beginning of July 1982.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherOn 8 July 1982, 3,291 people were registered as unemployed in the Musselburgh employment office area, which covers the western part of East Lothian district and the percentage rate for the wider Edinburgh travel-to-work area, of which Musselburgh forms part, was 11.8 per cent. Meaningful unemployment percentage rates can only be calculated for employment office areas, or groups of employment office areas, which form reasonably self-contained labour markets. Because of travel-to-work flows in the Edinburgh area the Dalkeith, Loanhead, Musselburgh and Penicuik employment office areas, together with the five employment office areas within Edinburgh city, are treated as a single labour market and unemployment percentage rates for the individual employment office areas are not available.
§ Mr. Home Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were unemployed in the constituency of Berwick and East Lothian when he took office; how many are unemployed there now; and what percentage change this represents.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherUnemployment statistics are compiled on the basis of employment office areas and the precise information requested is not available. However, the Berwick and East Lothian constituency comprises of Eyemouth and Haddington employment office areas and parts of the Musselburgh and Galashiels employment office areas. On 10 May 1979, 2,494 people were registered as unemployed in these areas compared with 5,655 on 8 July 1982, an increase of 126.7 per cent. The figures are not seasonally adjusted and include school leavers.