§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the numbers of unemployed in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Belfast compare with the numbers in (i) June 1966, (ii) June 1970, (iii) June 1979 and (iv) June 1983.
§ Mr. ButlerIt is not possible to provide directly comparable figures because of the change in the basis of the unemployment count in October 1982. The figures for 1983 and 1984 in the following table are therefore on a different basis from those for the earlier years.
Number Unemployed Belfast travel-to-work area Northern Ireland February 1984 52,705 122,537 June 1983 50,260 113,411 June 1979 27,697 62,763 June 1970 12,658 31,699 June 1966 9,092 28,196