§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the unemployment figures for Waveney in(a) May 1987 and (b) May 1991 as a whole and as a percentage of the work force; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. JacksonIn May 1991 the number of unemployed claimants, not seasonally adjusted, in the Waveney parliamentary constituency was 3,423. This compares with 5,847 in May 1987, a fall of 41.5 per cent.
Official unemployment rates are not available for parliamentary constituencies. The smallest areas for which unemployment rates are calculated by the Department are travel-to-work areas. These are broadly self-contained labour markets in which at least 75 per cent. of the people who work in the area, live in the area and vice-versa.