§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new jobs have been created in each category of the standard industry classification since 1979 (a) on Merseyside, (b) in Knowsley and (c) in Kirkby.
§ Mr. TrippierLocal area statistics for the areas concerned are not yet available for the period since 1978. The only relevant information available to the Department relates to the opening of new manufacturing plants with more than 10 employees and this information is inevitably not comprehensive due to delays associated with its collection. It indicates that since 1979 18 new plants have158W opened involving 600 jobs in the metropolitan county of Merseyside; two of these plants are located in the district of Knowsley and one of these in that part covered by the Kirkby employment office area. The main industries in which the openings have occurred in Merseyside county are chemicals and allied industries (60 per cent. of the jobs generated), and mechanical and electrical engineering (20 per cent.).