§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment to what extent employment in the clothing manufacturing sectors of north-east England has declined since 1979.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe only available information is for the period from June 1978 to September 1981 when censuses of employment were taken. In that period there was a decline of 32 per cent., from 21,800 in 1978 to 14,800 in 1981, in the number of employees employed in the clothing manufacturing industries of north-east England.
Censuses of employment have been taken triennially since 1978 and the results of the current, September 1984, census are scheduled to become available in the autumn.