HC Deb 02 July 1987 vol 118 cc130-9W
Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the latest unemployment figures.

Mr. Lee

The following information is in the Library. On 14 May 1987 the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 2,986,453. This was 284,000 lower than a year ago, the largest 12-month fall since similar records began in 1948.

Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what plans he has to reduce unemployment on (a) Merseyside and (b) Liverpool; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what plans he has to reduce unemployment in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lee

The Government will continue to pursue policies of sound financial management designed further to reduce inflation and to promote investment, enterprise and increased employment in Liverpool, Merseyside and throughout England and Wales. These policies have so far produced more than one million new jobs since 1983.

Merseyside and Liverpool attract very high levels of Government assistance which helps support and create employment. The whole of Merseyside has development area status, and local authorities in Merseyside also benefit under the urban programme. A city action team and a development corporation operate in the county; and there is an enterprise zone in Speke. Liverpool is an inner city partnership area, and also has a freeport. Unemployment in Merseyside was 128,167 in May 1987 as against 139,502 in May 1986; corresponding figures for Liverpool were 96,974 and 105,684.

My Department and the Manpower Services Commission operate over 30 employment, enterprise and training measures described in the "Action for Jobs" booklet, all of which are available in Merseyside and Liverpool.

My Department is also consulting the Manpower Services Commission with a view to providing a comprehensive employment service for unemployed people and there will be a guaranteed place on YTS for every 16 or 17-year-old unemployed school leaver.

Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the level of unemployment in all constituencies in England and Wales at the latest date.

Mr. Lee

The following information is in the Library:

Constituency Unemployed claimants
14 May 1987
Luton South 6,306
Mid Bedfordshire 2,556
North Bedfordshire 3,953
North Luton 4,053
South West Bedfordshire 3,383
East Berkshire 2,848

Constituency Unemployed claimants
14 May 1987
Newbury 1,828
Reading East 3,206
Reading West 2,786
Slough 4,068
Windsor and Maidenhead 2,062
Wokingham 1,563
Aylesbury 2,157
Beaconsfield 1,468
Buckingham 2,257
Chesham and Amersham 1,334
Milton Keynes 6,055
Wycombe 2,477
Bexhill and Battle 1,775
Brighton Kemptown 4,453
Brighton Pavilion 4,423
Eastbourne 3,063
Hastings and Rye 4,190
Hove 3,962
Lewes 2,191
Wealden 1,523
Basildon 5,516
Billericay 3,290
Braintree 2,675
Brentwood and Ongar 1,964
Castle Point 2,801
Chelmsford 2,601
Epping Forest 2,597
Harlow 3,718
Harwich 4,360
North Colchester 3,541
Rochford 2,426
Saffron Walden 1,923
South Colchester and Maldon 3,686
Southend East 4,070
Southend West 2,994
Thurrock 5,170
Aldershot 2,440
Basingstoke 2,395
East Hampshire 2,065
Eastleigh 3,841
Fareham 2,984
Gosport 3,559
Havant 4,795
Isle of Wight 5,901
New Forest 2,177
North West Hampshire 1,882
Portsmouth North 4,423
Portsmouth South 7,222
Romsey and Waterside 3,081
Southampton Itchen 6,438
Southampton Test 5,480
Winchester 1,917
Broxbourne 2,622
Hertford and Stortford 1,760
Hertsmere 2,441
North Hertfordshire 2,794
South West Herfordshire 1,934
St. Albans 2,076
Stevenage 3,476
Watford 2,874
Welwyn Hatfield 2,467
West Hertfordshire 2,826
Ashford 3,191
Canterbury 3,704
Dartford 2,959
Dover 4,145
Faversham 4,819
Folkestone and Hythe 4,267
Gillingham 4,126
Gravesham 4,355
Maidstone 2,809
Medway 4,138
Mid Kent 3,943
North Thanet 4.998
Sevenoaks 1,937

Constituency Unemployed claimants
14 May 1987
South Thanet 4,262
Tonbridge and Mailing 2,339
Tunbridge Wells 1,942
Banbury 2,641
Henley 1,420
Oxford East 3,267
Oxford West and Abingdon 2,205
Wantage 1,575
Witney 1,889
Chertsey and Walton 1,708
East Surrey 1,336
Epsom and Ewell 1,659
Esher 1,171
Guildford 1,611
Mole Valley 1,240
North West Surrey 1,756
Reigate 1,701
South West Surrey 1,343
Spelthorne 1,900
Woking 1,927
Arundel 2,763
Chichester 2,003
Crawley 2,047
Horsham 1,753
Mid Sussex 1,592
Shoreham 2,007
Worthing 2,411
Cambridge 3,092
Huntingdon 3,122
North East Cambridgeshire 4,026
Peterborough 7,290
South East Cambridgeshire 1,648
South West Cambridgeshire 2,151
Great Yarmouth 6,716
Mid Norfolk 2,923
North Norfolk 3,106
North West Norfolk 4,428
Norwich North 3,599
Norwich South 5,596
South Norfolk 2,722
South West Norfolk 3,758
Bury St. Edmunds 2,818
Central Suffolk 2,804
Ipswich 3,935
South Suffolk 3,059
Suffolk Coastal 2,414
Waveney 5,847
Barking 3,386
Battersea 6,101
Beckenham 2,788
Bethnal Green and Stepney 7,779
Bexley Heath 2,166
Bow and Poplar 7,769
Brent East 6,903
Brent North 3,012
Brent South 6,350
Brentford and Isleworth 3,596
Carshalton and Wallington 2,524
Chelsea 3,576
Chingford 2,454
Chipping Barnet 1,900
Chislehurst 1,999
Croydon Central 2,991
Croydon North East 3,454
Croydon North West 3,609
Croydon South 1,726
Dagenham 3,585
Dulwich 4,359
Ealing North 3,586
Ealing Acton 4,391
Ealing Southall 5,224
Edmonton 3,827
Eltham 3,268
Enfield North 3,360
Enfield Southgate 2,630

Constituency Unemployed claimants
14 May 1987
Erith and Crayford 3,650
Feltham and Heston 4,364
Finchley 2,632
Fulham 5,010
Greenwich 4,426
Hackney North and Stoke Newington 9,402
Hackney South and Shoreditch 10,365
Hammersmith 6,461
Hampstead and Highgate 5,541
Harrow East 3,320
Harrow West 2,368
Hayes and Harlington 2,702
Hendon North 2,592
Hendon South 2,562
Holborn and St. Pancras 8,100
Hornchurch 2,513
Hornsey and Wood Green 6,976
Ilford North 2,625
Ilford South 3,926
Islington North 9,034
Islington South and Finsbury 7,034
Kensington 4,975
Kingston-upon-Thames 2,174
Lewisham East 4,238
Lewisham West 4,978
Lewisham Deptford 7,730
Leyton 5,151
Mitcham and Morden 3,513
Newham North East 5,440
Newham North West 5,325
Newham South 5,388
Norwood 7,989
Old Bexley and Sidcup 1,669
Orpington 2,070
Peckham 8,647
Putney 3,493
Ravensbourne 1,833
Richmond-upon-Thames and Barnes 2,188
Romford 2,577
Ruislip-Northwood 1,381
Southwark and Bermondsey 7,043
Streatham 6,061
Surbiton 1,328
Sutton and Cheam 1,808
The City of London and Westminster 4,827
Tooting 5,181
Tottenham 9,307
Twickenham 2,010
Upminster 2,590
Uxbridge 2,273
Vauxhall 9,929
Walthamstow 3,671
Wanstead and Woodford 1,953
Westminster North 8,003
Wimbledon 2,378
Woolwich 5,863
Bath 3,220
Bristol East 4,487
Bristol North West 4,365
Bristol South 6,461
Bristol West 6,033
Kingswood 3,471
Northavon 2,987
Wansdyke 2,526
Weston-Super-Mare 3,643
Woodspring 2,410
Falmouth and Camborne 5,616
North Cornwall 4,732
South East Cornwall 3,590
St. Ives 5,222
Truro 4,511
Exeter 4,370
Honiton 2,669
North Devon 3,576
Plymouth Devonport 4,965

Constituency Unemployed claimants
14 May 1987
Plymouth Drake 5,738
Plymouth Sutton 3,568
South Hams 3,622
Teignbridge 3,453
Tiverton 2,619
Torbay 5,319
Torridge and West Devon 3,698
Bournemouth East 4,508
Bournemouth West 3,671
Christchurch 2,013
North Dorset 2,042
Poole 3,534
South Dorset 3,600
West Dorset 1,815
Cheltenham 3,732
Cirencester and Tewkesbury 2,467
Gloucester 4,341
Stroud 3,091
West Gloucestershire 4,049
Bridgwater 3,648
Somerton and Frome 2,428
Taunton 3,399
Wells 2,782
Yeovil 2,723
Devizes 3,061
North Wiltshire 2,948
Salisbury 2,718
Swindon 5,833
Westbury 3,308
Bromsgrove 3,726
Hereford 3,606
Leominster 2,936
Mid Worcestershire 5,288
South Worcestershire 3,133
Worcester 4,206
Wyre Forest 4,596
Ludlow 3,263
North Shropshire 3,861
Shrewsbury and Atcham 3,628
The Wrekin 8,507
Burton 4,411
Cannock and Burntwood 4,819
Mid Staffordshire 3,814
Newcastle-under-Lyme 3,772
South East Staffordshire 5,395
South Staffordshire 4,788
Stafford 3,759
Staffordshire Moorlands 2,939
Stoke-on-Trent Central 5,348
Stoke-on-Trent North 5,296
Stoke-on-Trent South 4,522
North Warwickshire 4,822
Nuneaton 4,599
Rugby and Kenilworth 3,859
Stratford-on-Avon 2,877
Warwick and Leamington 4,054
Aldridge-Brownhills 3,776
Birmingham Edgbaston 5,090
Birmingham Erdington 7,632
Birmingham Hall Green 5,494
Birmingham Hodge Hill 7,211
Birmingham Ladywood 8,973
Birmingham Northfield 7,747
Birmingham Perry Barr 7,536
Birmingham Small Heath 9,733
Birmingham Sparkbrook 8,701
Birmingham Yardley 4,871
Birmingham Selly Oak 5,905
Coventry North East 7,964
Coventry North West 4,623
Coventry South East 6,215
Coventry South West 4,139
Dudley East 7,531
Dudley West 5,898
Halesowen and Stourbridge 4,534

Constituency Unemployed claimants
14 May 1987
Meriden 6,641
Solihull 3,191
Sutton Coldfield 3,279
Walsall North 7,347
Walsall South 6,712
Warley East 6,165
Warley West 5,260
West Bromwich East 5,592
West Bromwich West 6,553
Wolverhampton North East 7,912
Wolverhampton South East 6,531
Wolverhampton South West 5,951
Amber Valley 4,010
Bolsover 5,394
Chesterfield 5,665
Erewash 4,688
Derby North 5,002
Derby South 7,508
High Peak 3,574
North East Derbyshire 5,159
South Derbyshire 4,063
West Derbyshire 2,673
Blaby 2,399
Bosworth 3,051
Harborough 2,116
Leicester East 4,953
Leicester South 6,501
Leicester West 6,104
Loughborough 3,007
North West Leicestershire 3,980
Rutland and Melton 2,577
East Lindsey 5,204
Gainsborough and Horncastle 3,885
Grantham 4,129
Holland with Boston 3,579
Lincoln 6,539
Stamford and Spalding 3,001
Corby 4,133
Daventry 2,305
Kettering 2,725
Northampton North 4,226
Northampton South 3,663
Wellingborough 3,325
Ashfield 5,042
Bassetlaw 5,500
Broxtowe 3,606
Gedling 3,724
Mansfield 3,303
Newark 4,173
Nottingham East 9,044
Nottingham North 6,995
Nottingham South 6,126
Rushcliffe 3,329
Sherwood 5,121
Beverley 3,171
Booth Ferry 4,062
Bridlington 4,551
Brigg and Cleethorpes 5,976
Glanford and Scunthorpe 5,903
Great Grimsby 6,937
Kingston-upon-Hull East 7,180
Kingston-upon-Hull North 8,239
Kingston-upon-Hull West 7,345
Harrogate 2,950
Richmond 3,392
Ryedale 2,765
Scarborough 4,626
Selby 3,317
Skipton and Ripon 2,380
York 5,752
Barnsley Central 5,841
Barnsley East 5,456
Barnsley West and Penistone 5,626
Don Valley 7,077
Doncaster Central 7,712

Constituency Unemployed claimants
14 May 1987
Doncaster North 8,195
Rother Valley 5,719
Rotherham 6,480
Sheffield Central 9,817
Sheffield Attercliffe 5,926
Sheffield Brightside 7,693
Sheffield Hallam 4,483
Sheffield Heeley 7,154
Sheffield Hillsborough 5,615
Wentworth 6,228
Batley and Spen 4,714
Bradford North 7,324
Bradford South 5,700
Bradford West 8,135
Calder Valley 3,840
Colne Valley 3,570
Dewsbury 4,832
Elmet 3,219
Halifax 5,147
Hemsworth 5,442
Huddersfield 5,191
Keighly 3,708
Leeds Central 6,989
Leeds East 6,755
Leeds North East 4,283
Leeds North West 3,643
Leeds West 5,273
Morley and Leeds South 4,178
Normanton 3,560
Pontefract and Castleford 5,879
Pudsey 2,784
Shipley 3,113
Wakefield 4,939
City of Chester 5,200
Congleton 2,624
Crewe and Nantwich 4,451
Eddisbury 4,373
Ellesmere Port and Neston 5,856
Halton 7,091
Macclesfield 2,822
Tatton 3,380
Warrington North 5,981
Warrington South 5,745
Altrincham and Sale 2,748
Ashton-under-Lyne 4,697
Bolton North East 4,963
Bolton South East 6,043
Bolton West 4,551
Bury North 3,922
Bury South 4,081
Cheadle 2,198
Davyhulme 4,146
Denton and Reddish 5,427
Eccles 5,126
Hazel Grove 3,157
Hey wood and Middleton 5,382
Leigh 5,608
Littleborough and Saddleworth 3,369
Makerfield 5,889
Manchester Central 10,796
Manchester Blackley 6,477
Manchester Gorton 6,817
Manchester Withington 6,602
Manchester Wythenshawe 6,121
Oldham Central and Royton 5,652
Oldham West 4,206
Rochdale 5,904
Salford East 7,944
Stalybridge and Hyde 5,498
Stockport 4,237
Stretford 8,476
Wigan 6,590
Worsley 5,509
Blackburn 7,090
Blackpool North 5,190

Constituency Unemployed claimants
14 May 1987
Blackpool South 5,524
Burnley 5,103
Chorley 4,076
Fylde 2,586
Hyndburn 3,372
Lancaster 3,098
Morecambe and Lunesdale 4,150
Pendle 3,763
Preston 6,802
Ribble Valley 1,799
Rossendale and Darwen 3,822
South Ribble 3,741
West Lancashire 6,455
Wyre 3,483
Birkenhead 9,200
Bootle 10,168
Crosby 4,957
Knowsley North 8,824
Knowsley South 9,044
Liverpool Broadgreen 8,206
Liverpool Garston 7,532
Liverpool Mossley Hill 7,150
Liverpool Riverside 10,818
Liverpool Walton 10,498
Liverpool West Derby 8,995
Southport 4,307
St. Helens North 6,253
St. Helens South 7,222
Wallasey 7,235
Wirral South 3,683
Wirral West 4,075
Barrow and Furness 4,126
Carlisle 3,802
Copeland 3,495
Penrith and the Borders 2,851
Westmorland and Lonsdale 1,960
Workington 3,787
Hartlepool 8,504
Langbaurgh 7,233
Middlesbrough 9,884
Redcar 7,957
Stockton North 8,118
Stockton South 7,019
Bishop Auckland 5,999
City of Durham 4,105
Darlington 5,500
Easington 5,841
North Durham 6,137
North West Durham 5,241
Sedgefield 4,647
Berwick-upon-Tweed 3,697
Blyth Valley 4,832
Hexham 2,163
Wansbeck 5,523
Blaydon 4,831
Gateshead East 6,494
Houghton and Washington 7,836
Jarrow 7,279
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central 5,508
Newcastle-upon-Tyne East 7,145
Newcastle-upon-Tyne North 6,097
South Shields 7,171
Sunderland North 10,397
Sunderland South 8,221
Tyne Bridge 9,009
Tynemouth 6,340
Wallsend 7,845
Alyn and Deeside 3,805
Clwyd North West 5,027
Clwyd South West 3,671
Delyn 4,318
Wrexham 4,431
Carmarthen 3,696
Ceredigion and Pembroke North 3,884
Llanelli 4,319

Constituency Unemployed claimants
14 May 1987
Pembroke 6,146
Blaenau Gwent 4,953
Islwyn 3,666
Monmouth 2,875
Newport East 4,553
Newport West 5,134
Torfaen 4,903
Caernarfon 3,227
Conwy 3,474
Meirionnydd nant Conwy 1,692
Ynys Mon 4,566
Bridgend 3,381
Caerphilly 5,116
Cynon Valley 4,158
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 4,737
Ogmore 4,316
Pontypridd 4,428
Rhondda 4,801
Brecon and Radnor 2,299
Montgomery 1,921
Cardiff Central 5,786
Cardiff North 2,379
Cardiff South and Penarth 5,078
Cardiff West 5,566
Vale of Glamorgan 4,428
Aberavon 3,791
Gower 3,132
Neath 3,783
Swansea East 4,999
Swansea West 5,340

Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Offical Report the latest unemployment figures in the regions of England and Wales at the latest available date.

Mr. Lee

The following information is in the Library.

Unemployed Claimants
Region 14 May 1987
South-East 690,901
(including Greater London) (368,900)
East Anglia 75,054
South-West 178,582
West Midlands 310,531
East Midlands 187,101
Yorkshire and Humberside 289,786
North-West 407,880
North 216,594
Wales 157,779

Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of unemployment in the Liverpool travel-to-work area at the latest date; and what were the figures in June 1979.

Mr. Lee

The following information is in the Library. On 14 May 1987 the number of unemployed claimants in the Liverpool travel-to-work area was 96,974. Comparisons with June 1979 are difficult to make because of changes in the coverage of the data. However, in June 1979, the number of unemployed registrants in jobcentre areas closely corresponding to the Liverpool travel-towork area, as defined in 1978, was 59,399.

Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the latest level of youth unemployment in (a) Liverpool and (b) Merseyside.

Mr. Lee

The following information is in the Library. On 9 April 1987, the latest date for which an analysis of unemployment by age is available, the number of unemployed claimants aged under 18 years in the Liverpool local authority area was 2,130 and in the Merseyside metropolitan area was 5,070.

Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the latest level of unemployment on Merseyside at the latest date.

Mr. Lee

The following information is in the Library. On 14 May 1987 the number of unemployed claimants in the Merseyside metropolitan area was 128,167.

Mr. Parry

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of youth unemployment in England and Wales at the latest date.

Mr. Lee

The following information is in the Library. On 9 April 1987, the latest date for which an analysis of unemployment by age is available, the number of unemployed claimants aged under 18 years in England was 93,324 and Wales was 6,348.