§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the effects of the recession upon the Welsh economy.
§ Mr. David HuntWales cannot be isolated from the recession affecting the United Kingdom economy and that of many other industrialised countries. Although the business community is going through a difficult period and unemployment is rising, the effect on Wales has been less severe than elsewhere. Since unemployment began to rise in March 1990, the difference between the Welsh and United Kingdom seasonally adjusted work force rates has reduced from 0.9 percentage points to 0.3 percentage points.