HC Deb 25 February 1988 vol 128 cc318-9W
32. Mr. Beggs

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish details of present unemployment levels in Northern Ireland; and if he will take steps to ensure that unemployment totals for Northern Ireland are in future published at the same time as unemployment rates by constituency in Great Britain.

Mr. Viggers

At 14 January 1988, the latest date for which unemployment figures are available, there were 121,778 unemployed claimants in Northern Ireland, representing 17.9 per cent. of the working population. Compared with the same month last year, that is a decrease in unemployment of 9,427.

Unemployment figures for Northern Ireland are published by press release on the same dates as those for the rest of the United Kingdom, public holidays permitting.