§ Mr. Murphyasked the Paymaster General if he will indicate the number of jobs that have been created in the Welwyn Hatfield constituency since May 1979; and what are the comparable figures for (a) Hertfordshire and (b) the country as a whole.
§ Mr. LeeThe precise information requested is not available. Net changes in employment can be provided but, for areas smaller than regions, only for those dates when censuses of employment are taken.
The table gives the latest available set of comparable figures from the June 1978 and the September 1981 census of employment. No census was taken in 1979 and small area results from the September 1984 census are not yet available. Because constituency figures are not available for years prior to 1981, figures are given for the area covered by the jobcentre areas of Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield with corresponds most closely to the Welwyn Hatfield constituency.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Paymaster General (1) what is the number of those over 45 years now unemployed in (a) the west midlands region, (b) the black country area of the west midlands and (c) the Walsall travel-to-work area and the respective figures for May 1979 and the percentage change in each category;
(2) if he will state the number of those aged 20 years and under who are unemployed in (a) the west midlands region, (b) the black country area of the west midlands and (c) the Walsall travel-to-work area and the figures for May 1979 and the percentage change in each category.
§ Mr. LeeThe following information is in the Library. The table gives the latest figures of unemployed claimants aged under 20 years (not available aged 20 years) an over 45 years in the areas requested on 8 January 1987. For April 1979 (not available for May) the figures given are the numbers of unemployed registrants in those age groups in the west midlands region and the travel-to-work areas of the Black Country and Walsall as defined in 1978. The percentage changes have not been calculated because the figures for 1979 and 1987 are not comparable, due to changes in the method of collection and compilation of the data. A list of these changes was published on page 422 of the October 1986Employment Gazette. Additional 767W discontinuities occured in local area statistics with the introduction of ward-based statistics and the revision to boundaries of travel-to-work areas.
Aged under 20 years Aged over 45 years Unemployed registrants—April 1979 West Midlands region 18,305 37,673 Black Country1 4,517 9,462 Walsall travel-to-work area (as defined in 1978) 1,239 2,901 Unemployed claimants—January 1987 West Midlands region 49,710 92,390 Black Country1 14,072 26,957 Walsall travel-to-work area (as defined in 1984) 3,805 7,054 1 Comprising the Dudley and Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton travel-to-work areas as defined at that time.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Paymaster General what is the number and percentage of those who had been unemployed for 12 months and more in the (a) west midlands region, (b) in the black country of the west midlands and (c) in the Walsall travel-to-work area in May 1979 and now.
§ Mr. LeeThe following information is in the Library. The table shows the numbers of claimants who had been unemployed for over 12 months in the areas requested, and the percentage of the total unemployed they represent, on 8 January 1987. Comparisons of unemployment over the period requested are difficult to make because of changes in the method of collection and compilation of the data. However, the table also shows the numbers in April 1979 (not available for May) of unemployed registrants who had been unemployed for over 12 months in the west midlands region and the travel-to-work areas, as defined in 1978, of the Black Country and Walsall.
Claimants—unemployed for over 12 Months, January 1987 Number Percentage of total unemployed West Midlands region 158,086 46.3 per cent. Black Country1 48,290 49.9 per cent. Walsall travel-to-work area (as defined in 1984) 12,566 48.3 per cent. Registrants—unemployed for over 12 Months, April 1979 West Midlands region 34,154 28.6 per cent. Black Country1 8,164 27.9 per cent. Walsall travel-to-work area (as defined in 1978) 2,495 28.8 per cent. 1 Comprising the Dudley and Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton travel-to-work areas as defined at that time.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Paymaster General how many were employed full-time in manufacturing in (a) the west midlands region, (b) the black country area of the west midlands and (c) the Walsall travel-to-work area in May 1979 and now; and if he will give the percentage change.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeSeparate statistics are not available for full-time employees in the manufacturing industries in the west midlands region. In June 1979 (figures are not available for May) 985,000 people were employed in manufacturing industries in the west midlands whereas in September 1986 (the latest date for which figures are available) the equivalent figure was 707,000 a change of minus 28 per cent. This is not768W necessarily an exact measure of any loss of jobs overall, as the increasing tendency of manufacturing companies to put out their services to sub-contractors means that jobs previously classified as being in manufacturing industries are now classified as being in service industries.
Employment statistics for local areas such as the Black Country and Walsall are available only for those dates when censuses of employment are taken and the most recent are for September 1981. No census was taken in 1979 and small area results from the September 1984 census are not yet available.
§ Mr. Allen McKayasked the Paymaster General if he will give for each year from 1979 to 1986 inclusive the percentage unemployment rate for each age group from 17 years to 60 years plus in (a) the Barnsley travel-to-work area and (b) Barnsley, West and Penistone constituency area using (i) the same formula for calculation as used in 1979 and (ii) as at present calculated.
§ Mr. LeeThe information requested is not available. Unemployment rates by age are calculated only at the national level because regular reliable estimates of the age of the working population are available only at that level.