HC Deb 20 October 1988 vol 138 cc980-1W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will consider decentralising the statistical function in his Department dealing with Scottish jobless totals to a separate unit located in Scotland.

Mr. Lee

The unemployment statistics are a by-product of the Great Britain wide system for paying unemployment-related benefits. Dissemination and briefing on the figures for Scotland are already the responsibility of a unit located in the ofice of the Training Agency's director for Scotland.