§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Paymaster General what is the number of persons made redundant since May 1979 in (a) the Birkenhead travel-to-work area and (b) Merseyside; and if he will present these data on a 12 monthly basis starting at May 1979 in the form used in the answer of 14 November 1983, Official Report, column 316.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe available information, relating to confirmed redundancies is set out below. Figures are shown for the new Wirral and Chester travel-to-work area and for the Merseyside metropolitan county.
Redundancies confirmed as due to occur* from May 1979 to September 1985† Wirral and Chester travel-to-work area‡ Merseyside metropolitan county‡ 1 May 1979—30 April 1980 4,141 13,820 1 May 1980—30 April 1981 8,935 21,476 1 May 1981—30 April 1982 8,610 18,285
Closures reported as due occur* from May 1979 to September 1985† Wirral and Chester travel-to-work area‡ Merseyside metropolitan county‡ Establishments Redundancies involved Establishments Redundancies involved 1 May 1979—30 April 1980 10 187 70 4,445 1 May 1980—30 April 1981 19 494 114 7,642 1 May 1981—30 April 1982 30 2,232 92 6,736 1 May 1982—30 April 1983 16 970 66 5,444 1 May 1983—30 April 1984 23 1,615 70 4,800 1 May 1984—30 April 1985 12 480 56 2,368 1 May 1985—30 September 1985† 8 575 18 864 * Confirmed by the Manpower Services Commission as due to occur and based on notification of impending redundancies involving 10 or more workers. † Includes provisional figures for August and September 1985. ‡ Grouping of jobcentre areas approximating to the area.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Paymaster General why people who have been made redundant and are making claims at unemployment benefit offices are included in the unemployment count.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkSuch people who have been made redundant are included in the unemployment count because they are signing on as unemployed and available for work.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Paymaster General how many claimants included in the unemployment count were (a) sick and (b) disabled; and why persons who are sick but still employed are classified as unemployed.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkI refer my hon. Friend to my replies of 29 October at columns331 and 332. No person who is sick but still employed should be claiming unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Paymaster General why men aged over 60 years who are not working are required to sign on as unemployed; and how many such persons are included in the latest unemployment statistics.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkMen aged over 60 years who are unemployed and available for work need to sign on at an
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Wirral and Chester travel-to-work area‡ Merseyside metropolitan county‡ 1 May 1982—30 April 1983 4,937 13,819 1 May 1983—30 April 1984 3,679 14,318 1 May 1984—30 April 1985 3,073 9,912 1 May 1985—30 September 1985† 1,076 3,950 * Confirmed by the Manpower Services Commission as due to occur and based on notifications of impending redundancies involving 10 or more workers. † Includes provisional figures for August and September 1985. ‡ Grouping of jobcentre areas approximating to the area.
§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Paymaster General if he will list the number of firms and the number of employees involved in firms which have closed since May 1979 in (a) the Birkenhead travel-to-work area and (b) Merseyside; and if he will present these for each 12 months beginning with May 1979 in the form used in the answer of 14 November 1983, Official Report, column 316.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe available information, relating to confirmed redundancies is set out below.
unemployment benefit office in order to claim unemployment benefit. Men aged over 60 do not need to sign on to claim supplementary benefit or national insurance credits. In October 1985 there were 74,847 men aged 60 and over included in the count of unemployed claimants for the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Paymaster General how many students on vacation who intend to return to full-time education and are unemployed claimants are included in the latest unemployment figures.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkStudents on vacation who intend to return to full-time education are excluded from the unemployment totals, but recorded separately. On 10 October 1985 there were 33,939 students claiming unemployment benefits in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Paymaster General how many persons in receipt of holiday pay for a number of weeks at the termination of employment were included in the latest unemployment figures for the weeks covered by this holiday pay.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe information requested is not available.
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§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Paymaster General why women who are single, widowed or separated with dependent children aged under 16 years, who do not receive unemployment benefit, are included in the unemployment figures.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkSuch women are included in the unemployment count because they are signing on as unemployed and available for work.