HC Deb 03 March 1986 vol 93 cc20-1W
16. Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total value of grants which Wales has received from the European regional development fund in each of the past three years and in the current year to date.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

Net commitments for the European Commission's financial years of 1983, 1984 and 1985 now stand at £41.7 million, £58.2 million and £56.9 million respectively. No allocations have yet been made for 1986.

17. Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are unemployed in Wales; what percentage of the population of working age they represent; and how these figures compare with the figures for corresponding months in the last six years.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

The seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed in Wales on 6 February 1986 was 176,900. Estimates of the population of working age are only published annually by the Registrar General and the latest figure relates to June 1984, when the unemployed in Wales represented 9.8 per cent. of the population of working age. The equivalent percentage for the years 1979 to 1983 were 4.3 per cent., 5.2 per cent., 8.1 per cent., 8.9 per cent. and 9.6 per cent. respectively.

18. Mr. Roy Hughes

asked the Secretary of state for Wales what are the latest unadjusted figures for unemployment in (a) Newport, (b) Gwent and (c) Wales; what were the equivalent figures in May 1979; and what was the percentage increase in each case.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

The unadjusted February 1986 figures for Newport, Gwent and Wales are 13,288, 30,602 and 188,405. Unadjusted figures for 1979 were produced on a different basis and cannot properly be compared with this year's.

20. Sir Raymond Gower

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many new jobs have been created since 1979 up to the latest convenient date in Wales, in the county of South Glamorgan and in the area of the Vale of Glamorgan borough council; and how many new jobs are in prospect in each case.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

As I have made clear in my answer to an earlier question from my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Mon (Mr. Best), it is impossible to say how many new jobs have been created since 1979. However, projects for which offers of regional selective assistance or, where applicable, regional development grants were accepted, or which were allocated Government-financed factories have promised to provide over 90,000 jobs in Wales, over 8,000 jobs in the county of South Glamorgan and 1,300 jobs in the area of the Vale of Glamorgan borough council. Other jobs will have been created without Government assistance, particularly in the service sector and among the self-employed.

Sir Raymond Gower

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many grants, giving their total value, have now been received from the European regional development fund in Wales, in South Glamorgan and in the area of the Vale of Glamorgan borough council, respectively.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

Since the fund's establishment, 1,050 grants to the value of £322.8 million have been committed to schemes in Wales, of which 108 grants to the value of £65.7 million in commitment have been in respect of schemes in south Glamorgan and 18, totalling £21.5 million in respect of schemes in the Vale of Glamorgan.