HC Deb 14 April 1986 vol 95 cc254-5W
Mr. Nellist

asked the Paymaster General if he will publish in the Official Report, for each year since 1978, expressed at 1986 prices (a) the allowance paid on the youth opportunities programmes and YTS, (b) the average earnings of full-time males aged under 18 years, (c) the average earnings of full-time females aged under 18 years, (d) the minimum wage rate for a 16-year-old apprentice in engineering, (e) the minimum wage rate for a 17-year-old apprentice in engineering, (f) average earnings for full-time male manual workers, excluding overtime and bonuses, (g) average earnings for full-time female manual workers, excluding overtime and bonuses, (h) (a) as a percentage of (f) and (g), (i) (b) as a percentage of (f), (j) (c) as a percentage of (g), (k) (d) as a percentage of (f) and (l) (e) as a percentage of (g).

Mr. Lang

The available information is given in the table.

£/week April 1985 prices*
April each year 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
(a) as a percentage of (g) 46.5 44.0 40.5 36.3 35.8 33.2 32.1 31.1
(i) (b) as a percentage of (f) 59.8 59.7 58.6 58.2 58.6 56.0 55.0 56.5
(j) (c) as a percentage of (g) 75.7 78.4 77.3 78.0 77.2 73.9 75.4 76.5
(k) (d) as a percentage of (f) 40.8 37.8 39.9 40.1 38.7 37.9 37.7 —
(l) (e) as a percentage of (g) 78.1 73.9 75.4 73.2 71.3 69.3 70.6 —

Sources:

(b) (c) (f) and (g) New Earnings Surveys 1978–1985 Great Britain.

(d) and (e) Time Rates of Wages and Hours of Work—Department of Employment.

* Figures used for 1978–1984 converted to constant prices using the Retail Prices Index (all times) April 1985 prices used as consistent with the latest available earnings figures.

† Rates at April but generally effective from earlier period.

‡ From Autumn 1983 intake apprentice rates were related to skill attainment not age.

║ Relates to apprenticeships starting before Autumn 1983.

Mr. Leighton

asked the Paymaster General how many people were unemployed in the London borough of Newham in 1979 and at the latest available date; and what are the comparable figures for long-term unemployed and unemployed school leavers.

Mr. Lang

The following information is in the Library. On 9 January 1986, the latest date for which an analysis of unemployment by duration is available, the number of unemployed claimants in the London borough of Newham was 17,664, of whom 7,639 had been unemployed for over one year. The number of unemployed school leavers aged under 18 years at the same date was 551. Statistics of unemployment for local authority districts are derived from the new ward-based system and are available only from June 1983.