§ Mr. HainTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give percentage and actual figures for adult males(a) registered unemployed, (b) receiving supplementary benefit or income support and (c) economically inactive for each of the areas covered by the valleys initiative programme in October 1988 and October 1992 showing the percentage changes.
§ Mr. David HuntIn October 1988 there were 23,328 unemployed males in the programme for the valleys area claiming benefit—15.9 per cent. of the work force. The figure for October 1992 was 25,954–18.5 per cent. of the work force. This represents an increase of 11.3 per cent. or 2.6 percentage points since October 1988. Male unemployment figures for individual districts which are wholly or partly within the valleys programme area were provided in my answer to the hon. Gentleman on 24 November, at columns628–30.
Information on the total number of males in the valleys area in receipt of supplementary benefit or income support is not available.
Provisional 1991 population census estimates of economically inactive males in those districts that fall, at least in part, within the valleys programme boundary are given in the table. There are no valleys figures for 1988 or 1992.
765W
Economically inactive population, 19911 males aged 16–64 years District2 Number Percentage of population Dinefwr 2,565 21.7 Llanelli 5,057 22.6 Blaenau Gwent 5,465 22.9 Islwyn 4,355 20.6 Torfaen 5,258 18.5 Cynon Valley 4,760 23.8 Merthyr Tydfil 4,297 23.8 Ogwr 7,964 19.3
District2 Number Percentage of population Rhondda 6,116 25.4 Rhymney Valley 7,418 22.8 Taff Ely 5,753 18.6 Brecknock 2,296 18.0 Lliw Valley 3,873 20.1 Neath 4,358 21.6 Port Talbot 3,903 24.7 Swansea 11,522 20.7 Source: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
11991 data are extracted from the Census County Monitor Series CEN 91 CM.
2District figures include areas outside the valleys programme boundary.
§ Mr. HainTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was regional policy expenditure in the South Wales valleys initiative area for each of the years 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92(a) in total and broken down into, (b) regional selective assistance, (c) regional development grant and (d) regional enterprise grant.
§ Mr. David HuntThe information requested is as follows:
£million 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 Regional Selective Assistance 11.6 8.2 7.1 13.0 Regional Development Grants 17.2 7.7 6.9 2.8 Regional Enterprise Grants 0.1 0.2 0.5 0.3 Total 28.9 16.1 14.5 16.1