§ 20. Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received about the level of unemployment in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsI receive representations from time to time from a variety of interested organisations and individuals. 331W The Government's economic development strategy for Northern Ireland aims to help industry become more competitive so that it can achieve soundly based growth and provide more good quality jobs. A wide range of assistance is available to this end. Figures released today show that the level of seasonally adjusted unemployment in Northern Ireland remained unchanged (at 107,000) in January and has declined by an average of 200 over the past three months.