HC Deb 18 April 1988 vol 131 cc308-13W
Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the latest figures for employment in(a) the coal industry, and (b) the electricity using industries.

Mr. Lee

In January 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 143,000 employees in employment in the coal extraction and solid fuels industries in Great Britain. The figure has not been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations.

Statistics are not kept for the numbers employed in those industries which use electricity as a principal source of energy.

Mr. William Powell

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the parliamentary constituencies in which the number out of work and claiming benefit declined by more than 25 per cent. between August 1984 and February 1988, including in the table for each constituency the total for(a) August 1986, (b) February 1988 and (c) the percentage reduction.

Mr. Lee

The following information is in the Library. The table shows the number of unemployed claimants at 9 August 1984 and 11 February 1988, together with the percentage change for each parliamentary constituency in Great Britain where the number of unemployed claimants has fallen by 25 per cent. or more. The figures are affected by seasonal factors and by changes in the coverage of the count.

Unemployed claimants
Parliamentary constituency 9 August 1984 11 February 1988 Percentage change
Wantage 2,391 1,231 -48.5
Henley 2,020 1,055 -47.8
Chesham and Amersham 1,742 936 -46.3
Newbury 2,650 1,451 -45.2
Tunbridge Wells 2,519 1,389 -44.9
South West Surrey 1,661 925 -44.3
Horsham 2,180 1,217 -44.2
Basingstoke 3,250 1,818 -44.1
Mole Valley 1,726 972 -43.7
Witney 2,646 1,493 -43.6
Corby 5,914 3,400 -42.5
Gillingham 5,479 3,251 -40.7
Brentwood and Ongar 2,438 1,451 -40.5
Welwyn Hatfield 3,123 1,866 -40.2
Guildford 2,097 1,257 -40.1
Oxford West and Abingdon 3,152 1,892 -40.0
West Hertfordshire 3,594 2,159 -39.9
Maidstone 3,525 2,121 -39.8
North West Surrey 2,356 1,424 -39.6
Reigate 2,023 1,226 -39.4
South West Hertfordshire 2,530 1,536 -39.3
North West Hampshire 2,361 1,441 -39.0
Mid Sussex 1,991 1,218 -38.8
Esher 1,563 964 -38.3
Aylesbury 2,741 1,694 -38.2
Saffron Walden 2,392 1,474 -38.1
East Surrey 1,625 1,013 -37.7
Medway 5,264 3,294 -37.4
Sevenoaks 2,416 1,514 -37.3
North Hertfordshire 3,573 2,252 -37.0
Mid Kent 4,837 3,056 -36.8
Ruislip—Northwood 1,779 1,124 -36.8
Windsor and Maidenhead 2,612 1,655 -36.6
Spelthorne 2,328 1,479 -36.5
Woking 2,387 1,519 -36.4
Reading West 3,334 2,130 -36.1
Reading East 3,923 2,518 -35.8
Wycombe 2,932 1,902 -35.1
Congleton 3,322 2,156 -35.1
Harlow 4,426 2,875 -35.0
Croydon South 2,023 1,316 -34.9
Wokingham 1,970 1,282 -34.9
Beaconsfield 1,700 1,107 -34.9
South East Cambridgeshire 1,892 1,240 -34.5
Wealden 1,907 1,256 -34.1
Crawley 2,485 1,637 -34.1
Rochford 2,828 1,867 -34.0

Parliamentary constituency 9 August 1984 11 February 1988 Percentage change
Hertford and Stortford 2,093 1,382 -34.0
East Berkshire 3,196 2,116 -33.8
Braintree 3,283 2,177 -33.7
Aldershot 2,971 1,974 -33.6
Surbiton 1,554 1,034 -33.5
Banbury 3,263 2,180 -33.2
Billericay 3,882 2,599 -33.0
Harborough 2,566 1,721 -32.9
Croydon central 3,609 2,435 -32.5
Basildon 6,712 4,530 -32.5
Chertsey and Walton 2,099 1,418 -32.4
Wimbledon 2,894 1,959 -32.3
South west Bedfordshire 3,766 2,550 -32.3
Buckingham 2,561 1,742 -32.0
Stevenage 4,059 2,764 -31.9
Dagenham 4,311 2,937 -31.9
Kettering 3,308 2,255 -31.8
Tonbridge and Mailing 2,678 1,827 -31.8
Cheadle 2,921 1,996 -31.7
South Colchester and Maldon 4,240 2,901 -31.6
Hornchurch 3,047 2,087 -31.5
Southend west 3,590 2,460 -31.5
Cambridge 3,554 2,437 -31.4
St. Albans 2,462 1,690 -31.4
Milton Keynes 6,750 4,637 -31.3
Loughborough 3,709 2,549 -31.3
Wellingborough 4,111 2,835 -31.0
Carshalton and Wallington 2,899 2,001 -31.0
Rutland and Melton 3,473 2,401 -30.9
Salisbury 3,208 2,228 -30.5
Castle point 3,430 2,383 -30.5
Oxford east 4,025 2,803 -30.4
Cirencester and Tewkesbury 2,976 2,074 -30.3
Richmond-upon-Thames and Barnes 2,675 1,868 -30.2
Slough 4,629 3,238 -30.0
Pendle 4,597 3,222 -29.9
Alyn and Deeside 4,694 3,296 -29.8
Upminster 3,029 2,136 -29.5
North Dorset 2,181 1,539 -29.4
Twickenham 2,307 1,628 -29.4
Kingston-upon-Thames 2,408 1,702 -29.3
West Gloucestershire 4,609 3,259 -29.3
South West Cambridgeshire 2,500 1,771 -29.2
Rugby and Kenilworth 4,512 3,202 -29.0
Northampton north 4,789 3,401 -29.0
Worcester 5,030 3,574 -28.9
The City of London and Westminster South 5,423 3,856 -28.9
Blaby 2,915 2,074 -28.9
East Hampshire 2,419 1,722 -23.8
Mid Worcestershire 6,016 4,285 -23.8
Davyhulme 4,937 3,520 -23.7
South Ribble 4,626 3,303 -23.6
Stratford-on-Avon 3,314 2,376 -28.3
Dudley West 6,716 4,822 -28.2
Southend east 4,675 3,358 -28.2
Huntingdon 3,511 2,522 -28.2
Uxbridge 2,625 1,886 -23.2
North Bedfordshire 4,573 3,286 -23.1
Bosworth 3,557 2,557 -28.1
Leicester east 5,919 4,259 -28.0
Macclesfield 3,400 2,450 -27.9
Dartford 3,454 2,494 -27.8
Shipley 3,592 2,596 -27.7
Chelmsford 3,035 2,196 -27.6
Stroud 3,743 2,713 -27.5
Warley east 7,171 5,201 -27.5
Eddisbury 5,028 3,649 -27.4
Barking 4,042 2,937 -27.3
Hazel grove 3,630 2,642 -27.2
Winchester 2,057 1,498 -27.2

Parliamentary constituency 9 August 1984 11 February 1988 Percentage change
South Suffolk 3,281 2,391 -27.1
Rossendale and Darwen 4,728 3,448 -27.1
Coventry south west 5,006 3,652 -27.0
Leicester south 7,612 5,557 -27.0
Thurrock 5,822 4,252 -27.0
Epsom and Ewell 1,901 1,392 -26.8
North Colchester 4,129 3,027 -26.7
Bristol west 7,347 5,394 -26.6
Ribble Valley 2,164 1,589 -26.6
Sutton and Cheam 2,029 1,492 -26.5
Hyndburn 4,170 3,067 -26.5
Bath 3,817 2,809 -26.4
Aberavon 4,762 3,508 -26.3
Burnley 5,949 4,389 -26.2
Watford 3,235 2,388 -26.2
Staffordshire moorlands 3,608 2,664 -26.2
Cheltenham 4,381 3,235 -26.2
Epping forest 2,816 2,080 -26.1
Altrincham and Sale 3,354 2,478 -26.1
Leeds north west 4,426 3,271 -26.1
Leicester west 7,299 5,397 -26.1
Bury south 4,622 3,421 -26.0
Hertsmere 2,595 1,922 -25.9
Ravensbourne 2,017 1,495 -25.9
Romford 2,776 2,059 -25.8
Gravesham 4,984 3,701 -25.7
Brentford and Isleworth 4,165 3,093 -25.7
Stockport 4,845 3,598 -25.7
North Wiltshire 3,518 2,614 -25.7
Northampton south 4,032 3,000 -25.6
Ashford 3,396 2,528 -25.6
Wyre forest 5,135 3,823 -25.6
Wanstead and Woodford 2,199 1,645 -25.2
Wrexham 5,000 3,742 -25.2
Nuneaton 5,462 4,089 -25.1
Central Suffolk 3,097 2,319 -25.1
Stoke-on-Trent central 5,909 4,432 -25.0
Daventry 2,713 2,035 -25.0
Pudsey 3,202 2,402 -25.0
Bishop Auckland 7,166 5,378 -25.0

Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in(a) Burnley and (b) Pendle have been unemployed for over one year; and what percentage of the work force this represents.

Mr. Lee

The following information is in the Library. On 14 January 1988, the numbers of unemployed claimants who had been unemployed for one year or more in the Burnley and Pendle travel-to-work areas were 1,790 and 1,162 respectively. These totals represent 4.6 per cent, and 3.9 per cent, respectively of the number of employees in employment plus the unemployed in each travel-to-work area.

Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of people unemployed in (i) Burnley and (ii) Pendle who are(a) 18 to 21 years of age, (b) 22 to 25 years of age, (c) 26 to 30 years of age, and (d) 31 to 35 years of age; and what percentage of each respective age group this represents.

Employees in Employment changes in the levels of employment between June 1979 and June 1986
Thousands
Manufacturing Industries Service Industries
All Employees Numbers Percentages Numbers Percentages
South East -124 -465 -24.9 441 8.7
East Anglia 60 -6 -2.9 81 20.1
South West -32 -70 -15.9 68 6.8
West Midlands -224 -289 -29.3 91 8.5

Mr. Lee

The following information is in the Library. The following table shows the number of unemployed claimants in the Burnley and Pendle travel-to-work areas on 14 January 1988, for the available age groups which most closely correspond with those requested. Unemployment rates by age are not calculated below national level.

14 January 1988
Unemployed claimants
Burnley travel-to-work area
aged 18–19 years 368
20–24 years 870
25–29 years 662
30–34 years 488
Pendle travel-to-work area
aged 18–19 years 278
20–24 years 682
25–29 years 464
30–34 years 349

Mr. Bernie Grant

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of people registered unemployed in the Tottenham constituency on the latest available date; what proportion of the working population this represents; and what are the corresponding figures for each month since June 1979.

Mr. Lee

My Department does not calculate unemployment rates for areas smaller than travel-to-work areas. Unemployment statistics for parliamentary constituencies are available only from June 1983, and are available from the Library.

Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what was the change in the number of employees in employment in each of the English regions, in England, and in Great Britain, excluding Northern Ireland, between 1979 and 1986;

(2) what was the change in the number of people employed in (a) manufacturing and (b) the service industries in each of the English standard regions, and in England as a whole between 1979 and 1986;

(3) what was the percentage change in the number of people employed in (a) manufacturing and (b) the service industries in each of the standard English regions, and in England as a whole between 1979 and 1986;

(4) what was the change in the number of people employed in (a) manufacturing and (b) the service industries in Great Britain, excluding Northern Ireland between 1979 and 1986; and in each case what was the percentage change.

Mr. John Lee

The figures are as follows:

Manufacturing Industries Service Industries
All Employees Numbers Percentages Numbers Percentages
East Midlands -37 -112 -18.5 107 14.2
Yorks and Humberside -225 -246 -34.7 85 8.1
North West -414 -345 -35.5 -24 -1.6
North -170 -142 -34.5 24 3.6
England -1,166 -1,675 -27.0 873 7.6
Great Britain (excl. Northern Ireland) -1,550 -1,982 -27.9 895 6.8

The figures have not been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations.

Some of the decrease in the manufacturing figures will he the result of the re-classification of jobs such as industrial cleaning, computer services and road haulage, previously done by manufacturers' own employees and now done by sub-contractors. This developing feature of our economy has the effect of exaggerating the extent of the move from manufacturing to service sector employment.