HC Deb 09 February 1990 vol 166 cc817-8W
Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about trends in the level of unemployment in Greater London since 1985.

Mr. Nicholls

The information is available in the Library. In December 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the Greater London region was 201,300, a fall of 181,300, or 47.4 per cent. since December 1985.

Mr. Oppenheim

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in Derbyshire are currently unemployed; and by what percentage this figure has changed in the last year.

Mr. Nicholls

The information is available in the Library. In December 1989 there were 23,537 unemployed claimants in Derbyshire. This figure represents a fall of 9,962 or 29.7 per cent.

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the current rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom and list those member states of the European Community whose rate of unemployment is higher.

Mr. Nicholls

In December 1989, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the United Kingdom was 5.8 per cent. On the OECD international definition the unemployment rate is higher in Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Spain, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands.