§ 23. Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Employment what recent representations he has received concerning the present level of unemployment and on future trends.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkWe have received many representations about the level of unemployment. This issue was discussed in the recent White Paper "Employment: The Challenge for the Nation," which set out the Government's strategy for jobs. As the White Paper makes clear, a reduction in the present level of unemployment depends on the creation of new jobs. More than 600,000 new jobs were created between March 1983 and December 1984 and we need to ensure that there are no obstacles in the way of building on that achievement.