HC Deb 18 May 1982 vol 24 cc75-6W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people in (a) the North-West, (b) Merseyside, (c) Kirkby and (d) Ormskirk have never had a full-time job since leaving school.

Mr. Peter Morrison

The following table gives, for 15 April, the numbers of unemployed young people under 18 years of age who had not entered employment since completing full-time education.

Numbers
North West region 17,636
Merseyside Special Development Area 5,558
Kirkby employment office area 293
Ormskirk employment office area 53

Mr. Arthur Davidson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the current unemployment figures

Table A: West Midlands
MSC Scheme Nearest equivalent to West Midlands area for which figures available Number of participants/filled places
(i) Youth Opportunities Programme MSC Special Programmes Division West Midlands Planning Region, which includes: Warwickshire, Hereford, Worcester, Shropshire, Staffordshire, and West Midlands Metropolitan District, including Dudley, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, Solihull, Birmingham and Coventry. During the period 1 April 1981 to 31 March 1982 some 67,100 young people entered schemes compared to some 36,600 entrants in the year 1 April 1980 to 31 March 1981.
(ii) Community Enterprise Programme As above, plus Northamptonshire County. At the end of March 1982, there were 2,290 filled places on schemes.
(iii) Training Opportunities Programme MSC Training Services Division West Midlands Region. As for (i) above. At the end of March 1982, there were approximately 2,800 participants, of which some 1,530 were non-skillcentre-based, and approximately 1,270 were skillcentre-based.

for (a) Accrington and (b) North-East Lancashire; and what percentage increase in unemployment in both these areas there has been since 1979.

Mr. Alison

At April 1982 the numbers of people registered as unemployed in the Accrington employment office area and in North-East Lancashire were 3,935 and 28,684, respectively. The increases since April 1979 were 278.7 per cent. in Accrington and 197.6 per cent. in North-East Lancashire. Easter school leavers are included in the figures for April 1982 but not for April 1979.

Mr. Arthur Davidson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest national youth and adult unemployment figures; what were the figures at the same time in 1979; and if he will give the percentage increase in unemployment during this period.

Mr. Alison

At April 1979 there were 76,608 people under 18 years of age registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom compared with 193,354 at April 1982, an increase of 152.4 per cent. The corrresponding figures for people aged 18 years and over were 1,263,987 at April 1979 and 2,814,442 at April 1982, an increase of 122.7 per cent. Easter school leavers are included in the figures for April 1982 but not for April 1979.