§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what has been the total net loss of jobs in Wales since June 1979;
(2) how many jobs have been lost in Wales in the manufacturing sector since June 1979.
§ Mr. Nicholas Edwards[pursuant to his reply, 8 December 1983, c. 247]: Information on the net change in employment levels is best obtained from the estimates of the number of employees in employment compiled by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment and published on a regular basis in the Employment Gazette. These estimates indicate that between June 1979 and June 1983—the latest available figures—there was a decrease of 146,000 in the number of employees in employment in Wales of which 103,000 were in the manufacturing sector.