§ 19. Mr. Flanneryasked the Paymaster General if he will give the figures for unemployment in the Sheffield travel-to-work area for each year from 1979 to 1986.
§ Mr. LeeThe following table shows the numbers of unemployed registrants in the Sheffield travel-to-work area as defined in 1978 for October 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982. The number of unemployed claimants in that area are also given for October 1982 and 1983. Figures for October of each year since 1983 are also given according to the 1984 definition of the travel-to-work area. Comparisons over the period 1979 to 1986 are difficult to make because of changes in the method of collection and compilation of the data.
Unemployed registrants in the Sheffield travel-to-work area (as defined in 1978) Numbers October 1979 14,203 October 1980 23,100 October 1981 38,063 October 1982 42,554
Unemployed claimants in the Sheffield travel-to-work area (as defined in 1978) Numbers October 1982 39,367 October 1983 41,681
Unemployed claimants in the Sheffield travel-to-work area (as defined in 1984) Numbers October 1983 41,869 October 1984 43,946 October 1985 44,915 October 1986 47,030
§ 29. Mr. Canavanasked the Paymaster General what is the total number of unemployed people in the United Kingdom.
§ 65. Mr. Lathamasked the Paymaster General whether he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment.
§ 35. Mr. Kenneth Carlisleasked the Paymaster General what is the latest trend in the unemployment figures; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeThe latest figures indicate that the trend in unemployment turned downward about three months ago. It is difficult to quantify the trend, so close to the turning point, but in the three months to October the seasonally adjusted series fell by nearly 19,000 a month on average.
§ 50. Mr. Hunterasked the Paymaster General what are the latest unemployment figures for the Basingstoke travel-to-work area.
§ Mr. LeeOn 9 October 1986, the number of unemployed claimants in the Basingstoke and Alton travel-to-work area was 3,756.
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§ 56. Mr. Knoxasked the Paymaster General how many people were out of work in the Staffordshire, Moorlands parliamentary constituency at the most recent count.
§ Mr. LeeOn 9 October 1986 the number of unemployed claimants in the Staffordshire, Moorlands parliamentary constituency was 3,406.
§ 68. Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Paymaster General how many protests he has received, and from what bodies, concerning the changes made in the method of counting the number of people unemployed.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeDuring the past 12 months, my Department has received 20 letters expressing concern about changes which the writers claimed affected the unemployment figures.
Three were from local authorities, the rest from individuals. I do, of course, receive frequent politically motivated protests in this House.
§ 71. Mr. Evansasked the Paymaster General what is his estimate of the effect to date of changes made in 1986 in the methods of counting the unemployed.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThere has been one change in compilation during 1986 which, from March, reduced an unintended over-recording by about 50,000 on average and therefore improved the accuracy of the figures.