§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many manufacturing jobs have been lost in (i) Clywd and (ii) Wales since May 1979; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerWhile comprehensive information regarding jobs lost is not available, Department of Employment estimates show that there were 109,000 fewer employees in employment in manufacturing industry (SIC 1980 divisions 2–4) in Wales in June 1987 than in June 1979.
Equivalent information is not available for Clwyd, but my Department's regional data system (which is restricted to companies of over 10 employees and uses a slightly different definition of manufacturing industry) indicates there to have been a fall of 7,800 in the numbers employed in manufacturing in Clwyd between 1979 and the latest available results.