§ Mr. John MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement about trends in the level of unemployment in Hendon, South during the past six years.
§ Mr. NichollsIn October 1989 there were 1,354 unemployed claimants in the parliamentary constituency of Hendon, South. This compares with 2,723 in October 1983, a fall of 1,369 or 50.3 per cent. over six years. The454W comparison is affected by the change in the compilation of the unemployment count in March 1986 to reduce over-recording and by the change in benefit regulations affecting under 18-year-olds in September 1988.
§ Mr. BellTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the average unemployment figures for Cleveland for 1988; and what were the average unemployment figures for 1978.
§ Mr. NichollsIn 1988 the average monthly number of claimants unemployed in Cleveland was 3,367 compared with the number of registrants which was 4,461 in 1978. The figures are affected by changes in the coverage of the unemployment count.
§ Mr. HanleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the United Kingdom work force, split between men and women, is in employment; and what is the average for the European Community.
§ Mr. NichollsIn 1987, the latest date for which comparable information for all European Community countries is available, 87 per cent. of men and 97 per cent. of women in the work force were in employment. This compares with 90 per cent. of men and 87 per cent. of women in the European Community as a whole.